The tales of the Dragonborn
by Just Somedude 1
Summary: After taking a break from the war to help deal with the recent Vampire attacks around Skyrim, Torbin frees a young woman named Serana from her tomb at Dimhollow Crypt, unknowingly sparking the beginning of an ancient prophecy that could spell the end of the world, on top of the other handful of problems he's attempting to deal with.
1. Chapter 1

**Serana**

I have no clue how long I slept, or what happened during that time, except what Torbin told me. The last thing I remembered was being shut in that box, and then I was awoken. The man who stood before me wore armor I did not recognize, and a strange helmet. His armor consisted of chainmail, a leather tunic and shirt, and a blue, toga-like garment covering his shirt and hanging past his tunic. His helmet covered his face, and he carried a sword and shield strapped to his back.

"Woah!" He exclaimed, catching me as I fell forward "Easy there."

I managed a glance around him to see a few dead bodies and shattered remains of skeletons, as well as dark pools of black, indicating dead Deathounds.

"Who are you?" He asked me, helping me to stand "How did you get in there?"

"Could you not ask so many questions?" I snapped at him "I don't even know where I'm at."

He removed the strange helmet and revealed his face, and I was surprised at how young he looked. His brown hair was a little long and scruffy, his face was covered in dirt and sweat and unshaven, he appeared to be about nineteen.

"You're at a place called Dimhollow Crypt," He told me "I was sent here by a man named Isran to investigate what the vampires were up to, it looked like they were trying to figure out how to unlock this tomb."

"Who are you?" I asked

"Who are you?" He countered

I considered for a moment before speaking, he did just save me after all, the least I could do would be to give him my name.

"My name is Serana." I told him

He looked closer into my eyes, a look of confusion written on his face. After a few brief moments, confusion turned to understanding and he nodded.

"You're a vampire." He said "Isran would want me to kill you."

"Try it." I growled, reaching for my dagger

"I'm not going to kill you," He laughed, either not seeing or ignoring my dagger "Do you know how long you were in there?"

"I'm not sure," I admitted "Who's the High King?"

"That's actually a matter for debate." He shrugged

"What do you mean?" I asked

"I mean Skyrim has been plunged into a civil war between the Empire and Stormcloaks and the High King is dead." He told me

"The Empire?" She asked "Stormcloaks?"

"The Empire," He said slowly "From Cyrodiil. I'm a Stormcloak, we fight for the freedom of Skyrim."

"Not ringing any bells." I shrugged

"Doesn't really matter," He said "Why don't we get you out of here and-is that an Elder Scroll?"

"Yes," I said, glaring at him "And it's mine, so back off."

He put his hands up and nodded, a small grin playing at his lips. I glanced around the tomb, looking for a way out.

"Now," I said, turning back to him "I told you my name, how about you tell me yours?"

"My name is Torbin," He shrugged "I'm a commander in the Stormcloak army, serving loyally under Ulfric Stormcloak to bring peace and freedom to Skyrim. On top of that, I'm the Dragonborn."

"The what now?" I asked, confused

"Boy you must've been out of it for a while," Torbin said, shaking his head back and forth "I'm a mortal with the soul of a dragon, or something like that anyways."

"Sounds interesting," I remarked "I take it you must be revered as a hero throughout the land."

"Not really," He said, hanging his head "I discovered I was Dragonborn when I was fifteen, just after I had escaped a dragon attack in Helgen. When I was seventeen I joined Ulfric Stormcloak's rebellion, and many in Skyrim see me as a traitor to the people."

"A traitor?" I asked "Why?"

"Because there are a great many in Skyrim that believe I should've sided with the Empire, to help the them crush the Stormcloaks. They believe that the Empire's laws and customs are right, and that Ulfric Stormcloak is nothing but a traitor who murdered High King Torygg," He said, looking deep in thought "The Empire was going to execute me when that dragon attacked, I was fifteen. I wasn't even on the list, but she sent me to the block anyways."

"Why would they want you to side with them?" I asked, genuinely curious now "They sound like terrible people."

"While the Empire does have it's moments," Torbin began "Ulfric Stormcloak isn't exactly perfect. He's very racist towards Elves of any kind really, mostly because of the Thalmor."

"Them I've heard of," I said, nodding "What are they doing here?"

"The Empire lost a war with them," He explained "Many died, and the Thalmor wanted control of Skyrim, and uses the Empire to maintain it. They banned worship of Talos, something that sits very badly with Nords. People misunderstand the Stormcloaks, I don't fight to keep Elves in their ghettos or to see them forced away from Skyrim."

"Then what do you fight for?" I asked

"For a Skyrim where all are free to live and travel as they please," He said "I have races of all sorts under my command. Argonians, Orcs, Elves, Khajiit, Redguards, even some Imperials from Cyrodiil."

"Sounds like a noble cause," I said "Why would people hate that?"

"Politics is something I try to stay as uninvolved in as possible," He said "I fight for Ulfric for my reasons, and if people don't like that, it isn't my problem. I will stand and die alone against the Thalmor if I have to, but I will show my people that I can deliver them freedom."

I didn't know what to say, he was a very fascinating individual, that much I would give him. I usually felt hunger for mortals, but I felt curiosity towards him. The way an animal does with new owners, not quite threatened, but not really relaxed either.

"Why don't we get out of here?" He asked suddenly "Is there any place I can take you?"

"Home," I said immediately "There's a castle just off the northern coast of Skyrim, Castle Volkihar."


	2. Chapter 2

**Torbin**

Serna's home was…..impressive, to say the least. It was huge, with about as much security as a castle could have. I could see other vampires standing on the balconies of the castle, holding bows in their hands. I had decided that it was in my best interest to not say anything about me being Dawnguard in front of anybody here.

"So, before we go in there," Serana said, stopping me halfway across the bridge "When you meet my father, try to not give him any reasons to eat you, he takes the slightest thing as an extreme amount of disrespect."

"Got it." I nodded

"Princess!" One of the guards yelled "Is that you? By the gods, it's Lady Serana, open the gates!"

"Princess?" I asked her "You're royalty? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to think I was one of those girls who just sits in a castle all day," She admitted "It just isn't me."

She lead me inside the gate after it was open, and the guard at the door opened it. The inside wasn't any cozier than the outside, but there were more people inside.

"Brothers and Sisters of this court!" The gatekeeper called "May I present to you, the Lady Serana."

Serana and I stepped into the light looking down at a dining hall, where Vampires were feasting. There were half eaten corpses on the table, strips of flesh tossed on the floor where a couple of Deathhounds were cleaning them up.

"Serana?"

The whisper buzzed throughout the court for a moment, and many stared in amazement. One face stood out amongst them, a man at the head table, with black hair and cold eyes. He regarded us with a slight curiosity before holding up his hand.

"Silence!" He called, an order the Vampires immediately obeyed "Serana, you have returned? Did you bring the Elder Scroll with you?"

"After all these years?" Serana demanded, heading down the stairs "That's the first thing you say?"

"Of course I'm thrilled to see you my daughter," He said, watching me follow her down "Does it even have to be said? And who is this?"

"This is the man who freed me from my tomb," She said "He brought me here and helped me sneak past the Thalmor at Northwatch Keep."

"Ah yes," He said, turning on me "And what is your name? You've come all this way simply to return my daughter home?"

"My name is Torbin," I told him "And yes, I brought her here to ensure she arrived safely, Skyrim is a dangerous place to let your daughter run amok."

"I know of your war and the uniform you wear," He said "Dragonborn."

I'll admit I was caught off guard, as I didn't expect him to know who I was. I could tell he knew he had startled me, and he gave a slight grin before continuing.

"My name is Harkon," He said "Lord of this castle, and of all Vampires, I trust my daughter has told you of what we are?"

"Yes," I nodded "She has."

"Well then," He said "I suppose you are to be rewarded for returning my daughter to me unharmed."

"I didn't come here with intention of a reward." I told him

"Oh that is rich!" Harkon laughed "A Nord came all this way simply out of the goodness of his heart!"

The court came alive with laughter, as though the thought was unheard of. Which I suppose I couldn't blame them, most Nords I met thought only of women, ale, and gold. Harkon waited for them to die down before he continued, keeping his eyes on the scroll on Serana's back as he did so.

"Regardless of your intentions, I will reward you for my daughter's safe return," He said "I will bestow upon you a gift that none have ever received from me before, I offer you my blood."

"Your what?" I asked, taken aback

I saw Serana tense a bit and the court buzzed to life once again, and I could tell this was a big deal, but I had no idea what it meant.

"I will give you the gift of vampirism," He told me "You will be recognized as a full member of this court."

I remembered what Serana said about her father taking the smallest thing as disrespectful, and refusing his gift could mean death, but I didn't want to be a vampire.

"And if I refuse?" I asked cautiously

"I will allow you to leave this court with your life, but only once," He said "After you walk out those gates, you will be just like every other mortal, prey."

I considered what I was being offered, and if I really wanted it. I was the Dragonborn, I had the power to raze lands and destroy armies, and I began imagining what I could do with the kind of power I was being offered.

"No." I said finally

The entire court of vampires seemed shocked by what I had said, Harkon and Serana too. Even I was a little surprised, but the kind of power that came with vampirism wasn't something I wanted.

"Torbin," Serana whispered "Don't-"

"You come to my court?" Harkon demanded "You refuse my generous gift?"

I fought the urge to draw my sword, but Harkon was making me extremely nervous. I was beginning to wonder if I would really be allowed to leave when Harkon simply nodded, accepting my answer.

"Very well, Dragonborn," He said "Be gone from my court, should you ever return here, I will treat you as my enemy."


	3. Chapter 3

**Torbin**

It took roughly two or three days for me to make my way back to Fort Dawnguard, by which time I discovered I had been beaten there by a messenger sent by Ralof, my second in command.

"Torbin," Isran said, nodding to me as I entered the great hall "I've been expecting you for some time, I don't suppose you have any good news for me?"

"I have news," I told him "But I wouldn't exactly call it good."

"Well spit it out," Durak said "We haven't got all day."

The only ones present in the great hall were Isran and Durak, and I knew Durak was a trusted advisor to Isran, so I figured it was safe to tell the whole story in front of him.

"I went to this Dimhollow Crypt, and while I was in there, I freed a young woman from her tomb," I began "She turned out to be a vampire carrying an Elder Scroll-"

"So you killed her and brought us the scroll?" Isran asked expectantly

"No, not exactly," I said, hesitating "I sort of….accompanied her home and let her keep it."

"What?" Isran exploded "You found and Elder Scroll in the clutches of one of those filthy night creatures and you didn't kill it?"

"Well by the time it occurred to me I was surrounded by Vampires," I told them "I was allowed to leave with my life, luckily."

Isran was silent for a moment, contemplating his next words. It was in that moment I noticed a note on the table bearing the seal of Ulfric Stormcloak, but before I could ask about it, Isran spoke.

"I suppose there is nothing to be done about it now," He said "We'll need more than a scroll to stop them anyways."

"Is there any way I can help?" I asked

"No, unfortunately," Isran said, handing over the note in his hand "This letter arrived for you last night, seems rather urgent."

"Last night?" I asked, taking it and opening it

 _-Torbin_

 _We've received our orders from Ulfric, he wants us to move down towards Riften and remove it from Imperial control. The river flows upward from there and we'll be able to move supplies all throughout Eastmarch and the Rift from there. I know you wanted some time away from the war to clear your head, but Riften is heavily guarded and there's a lot of Imperials between us and the city, we'll need your help to take the city. I'll hold the men where they are until your arrival, we await you on the banks of the River Yorgrin, Commander._

 _-Ralof_

"It seems your duty calls then, Dragonborn," Isran said to me "I hope to see this war's end soon, I need warriors like you."

"I'll be glad to see it's end too," I admitted "Peace is what Skyrim needs in these dark times, with Dragons and Vampires running around."

"Indeed," He agreed "Farewell, Dragonborn."

I packed my bags and headed out about thirty minutes later, my destination almost all the way back to Windhelm. I mounted the horse Isran had lent to me and headed out of Dayspring Pass, enjoying the fresh Skyrim air. I had snuck past thousands of Imperials to join up with the Dawnguard after telling Ulfric that I sensed the Dragonborn may have been needed elsewhere for a time.

"Very well," He had told me "We'll keep your men stationed outside the city under Ralof's command in your absence, they will await your return."

"I'm not sure how long I'll be gone," I told him "But if this Vampire threat is as serious as they claim, maybe I should help them."

"You have a great many burdens for a young man," Ulfric told me "The Greybeards have you hunting Alduin, you've volunteered your service to this war, and now you'll be dealing with the Vampires."

"I suppose it comes with the title," I sighed, mounting my horse "Maybe I can convince the Dawnguard to lend their support to the Stormcloaks, I've been thinking that the Companions may be able to help if we were to take Whiterun."

"Save the planning and battle strategies for when you return," Ulfric laughed "You'll need your strength, Torbin."

If Ulfric was requesting me to return, then the situation must be desperate, although I suppose Eastmarch and the Rift were important to staging an assault on Solitude. The supply roads ran from there all the way to the city, and it would be all the easier if we were able to walk right to the front gate. I stopped just outside of Riften and did some scouting, taking note of the Imperial positions so that we would have an advantage when we assaulted the city.

It was a little over a two day journey all the way back to Windhelm, but the city finally came into view, and the Imperial patrols disappeared.

"Commander Torbin!" A Stormcloak on horseback called to me, waving his hand

"Elegvir!" I laughed as he removed his helmet

Elegvir was one of my lieutenants, and a close friend. He had been disowned by his family for refusing to join the Thalmor and cast out from their house. Upon arriving in Skyrim, he met a young Nord by the name of Carlotta Valentia, the two soon fell in love and married.

After nearly two years together, Elegvir was taken by Thalmor agents in the dead of night. I happened to be passing through Whiterun at the time, and Carlotta approached me in the bar for my help. They had taken him to Northwatch Keep for interrogation, along with a few others from Whiterun. I helped them escape and, as a favor for freeing him, Elegvir pledged his loyalty to me and followed me to Windhelm to join the Stormcloaks.

"It is good to see you," He said, pulling me into a hug " You need a haircut and a shave, my friend. How goes the Vampire hunt?"

"Definitely not the way I expected it to go," I admitted "I'm still struggling to understand it."

"Well, welcome back to the war," He laughed "Where most of it makes sense."

"Anything interesting happen while I was gone?" I asked as we made our way towards the gates

"We caught a few Thalmor agents inside the city," He informed me "They refused to talk. One of them escaped and stole a Stormcloak uniform, he almost made it out."

"What happened to him?" I asked

He nodded up to the archers posted along the city walls. The city hadn't changed much in the time I'd been gone, there were a few more ships in the harbor and some new faces among our ranks, but nothing else was different.

"Ulfric will want to speak with you before we leave," He told me "He should be in the Palace of the Kings."

I dismounted my horse and headed inside the gate, making my way for the Jarl's palace. The guards at the door snapped to attention as I approached. They turned and pulled the door open, allowing me inside. Ulfric sat in his throne talking with Galmar, he looked up and gave a grin as I entered.

"It has been many moons since the Dragonborn graced us with his presence," He laughed "It is good to see you, my friend."

"I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about me," I said, approaching the throne and kneeling "I've been away for quite some time, Jarl Ulfric."

"Rise, Commander," He laughed "How did the Vampire hunting go?"

"Well, I didn't exactly have time to do much about it," I told him "But I recently freed a young woman from a crypt and took her home, which ended up being an entire castle full of Vampires."

"Bloody hell." Galmar laughed

"It's a complicated matter I intend to look into more once the situation in The Rift is stabilized." I told them

"It's more than The Rift," Ulfric told me "Galmar will be with you until you cross into The Rift, then he'll be heading into Falkreath."

"Falkreath?" I asked

"Rikke has begun an assault in Whiterun and Falkreath, attempting to push through and give aid to the Imperials at Riften." He said

"If it isn't one thing it's another," I grumbled "I don't understand why everybody can't stop for a second and let me solve one world threatening problem at a time."


	4. Chapter 4

**Serana**

I only stayed at the castle for a week before making up my mind, I wouldn't be a pawn in my father's game. I snuck out when most of the castle's inhabitants had gone to sleep, the guards were lazy as nobody ever ventured out to our island, it wasn't hard to get by them. I only took a bow, my dagger, the Elder Scroll, a week's supply of food, a map of Skyrim, and a horse from Northwatch Keep, it was a bit more difficult than sneaking out of the castle, but the Thalmor guards wouldn't have missed it for a while.

I made my way to Solitude in just a few hours, knowing I would need help. Everybody I knew that could help me defeat my father was dead except for my mother, but I didn't have a clue where she was. The only other option was Torbin, which would require some digging. First off, I didn't even know him but he had saved me from the tomb, so he couldn't be all that bad. The only issue was I had no idea where he could be, but I did remember him saying something about the Stormcloaks, so I just had to find a hold that they controlled and then maybe somebody could point me to Torbin.

"Halt!" One of the Solitude guards yelled as I approached "State your business!"

"Just passing through," I said, hoping he didn't draw his weapon on me "I'm looking from somebody."

"A pretty lady like yourself?" He asked me as I drew closer "Skyrim's a dangerous place to be traveling alone, who are you looking for?"

"His name is Torbin," I said "He's the Dragonborn, any idea where he could be?"

A dark look crossed the guard's face as he looked over his shoulder, checking if anybody else could hear him. When he was sure they couldn't, he turned back to me, leaning in close and speaking quietly.

"I don't know who you are or where you come from," He told me "But you'd be wise not to speak the traitor's name inside these walls, as for where he is, I'm not sure of that. I'd heard he took a break from the war for a time to head down to Fort Dawnguard and help with the Vampires."

 _So the Empire controls this hold?_ I thought _Meaning Torbin isn't welcome here, I'd be better off figuring out which side controls which hold, he's likely to be in the ones controlled by the Stormcloaks._

"Where is this Fort Dawnguard?" I asked

"Somewhere down by Riften," He told me "Not exactly sure, mind if I ask why you're searching for him?"

"He's the only one I trust to help me." I told him

"You're not a Stormcloak spy are you?" He asked suspiciously "I understand that despite the Dragonborn's choice in who he sided with in the war he still hold his duty to the people, but we can't just have spies running in and out of the city."

"I'm not a Stormcloak spy," I told him, hoping he'd believe me "My business with Torbin is completely unrelated to the war."

He eyed me for a moment before he finally nodded, looking as if he still wasn't sure if he believed me. He allowed me to pass and I was granted access into the city. I kept the Elder Scroll wrapped up in a blanket on my back, feeling that it was safer with me. The first place I headed was the Inn, figuring that it would be the best place to gather information about Skyrim.

"Hail the Empire!" A soldier was yelling as I opened the door "A toast to our fallen!"

He lifted his mug and the entire bar echoed his cheer, throwing back their drinks and toasting. The bar was overflowing with men and women dressed in what I assumed was Imperial armor, the place stunk of alcohol and sweat. I wasn't in there for long before I learned that the Stormcloaks had total control of The Pale, Whiterun, and Falkreath. The Imperials held total control of Haafingar, The Reach, The Rift, and Winterhold. Commander Alvairek of the Stormcloaks had brought her army from Whiterun and begun a campaign to take Hjaalmarch just a few months ago, and Legate Rikke of the Imperial army had begun an assault on the outskirts of Whiterun from The Reach, also attempting to push into Falkreath.

The mountain range around Winterhold was under siege by the Stormcloaks but they weren't having much luck due to the Thalmor presence in the city and Imperial control of Dawnstar. Lastly, I learned that Commander Torbin had rejoined his men near Dunmeth Pass and launched a campaign through Eastmarch down Darkwater River, attempting to push his way to Riften and take the city.

"Thank you." I whispered quietly, snatching a slightly more updated map from an Imperial officer's bag

I left the city as quickly as I could, not wanting to drawn any unnecessary attention, not to mention I spotted a few Vampires coming into the tavern, I thought it would be awhile before my father noticed I was gone, but I suppose you can't exactly walk out the front door with an Elder Scroll unnoticed.

 **Three days later**

The Stormcloak camp was hard to miss, I could see it from a mile off. The banners hung high and there was thousands of them, well armed and looking eager for battle. I slowed my horse to a walk and headed down towards the camp.

The guards spotted me before I even got close, raising their weapons and advancing slowly. There was a Wood Elf with them and I could tell he was in charge, at least out of this small group.

"Skyrim is less friendlier than I remember," I remarked when I got close "Torbin's the only one who didn't pull his sword the second he saw me."

"These are troubling times," The Elf said "Can't be too careful, how do you know Commander Torbin?"

"Old friends," I remarked, casually thumbing my dagger "It's him I've come to see."

"You can't just walk in here and demand to see him," The Elf said, rolling his eyes "This is a military operation, not exactly open to civilians such as yourself."

"Listen," I said, dismounting my horse and leaning close to him so nobody could hear "I'm carrying an Elder Scroll and I'm right in the middle of something I desperately need Torbin's help with, I promise you he'll be really pissed off if you don't take me to him."

"An Elder Scroll?" He asked "You actually have one?"

"Shhh," I hissed "Keep your voice down, I don't need to call attention to it."

The Elf seemed to consider it for a moment before he finally nodded, turning away from me and motioning for another soldier to come to us.

"Take her directly to Commander Torbin," He told him "Inform him she's carrying an Elder Scroll, and nobody else is to know she has the scroll, understand?"

"Aye sir." He said, turning into the camp

I hurried to catch up with him, letting the Elf guide the stolen Thalmor horse over to where the rest of their horses were. I took the time to look around the Stormcloak camp. There were men and women at grindstones, sleeping, drinking, tending to the wounded, or shooting arrows at targets.

"You're a Vampire, aren't you?" The Stormcloak suddenly asked, removing his helmet and turning to face me

He was an Orc, young too, looked like he was fresh from his training. He had gold warpaint around his eyes, and all of his hair was pulled back into a ponytail, braided the way Orc warriors were.

"Yeah." I shrugged, realizing there was no use in trying to hide it

"Is..is Commander Torbin…" He struggled to get the words out

"No," I laughed "No, he actually refused the gift."

"How does he leave to help the Dawnguard hunt Vampires and then come back with a Vampire?" He asked

"Long story," I told him, still laughing "What's your name?"

"Buramog." He said, putting his helmet back on and continuing his walk

"How'd you end up here?" I asked him "Fighting with Torbin?"

"Well being assigned to Commander Torbin wasn't my decision," He said "But my parents were executed by the Empire. They were farmers, not soldiers, but the Empire accused them of treason and had them carted away. I was raised by the blacksmith in our village, and I left and joined up with the Stormcloaks as soon as I was old enough."

"So your hate for the Empire led you here?" I asked him

"I don't hate the Empire," He told me "But I've never seen the Stormcloaks drag people out of their homes kicking and screaming in the dead of night."

I fell silent after that until we finally made it to what I could see was definitely the command tent. I couldn't see inside yet but I could hear men talking. Suddenly, somebody yelled making Buramog and I jump.

"They'll be met with the steel of our blades and the strength of our resolves!"

This was followed by a roar of laughter and I finally came into view of the men inside. There were four, one wearing bear fur with a blonde beard, another with long blonde hair and a beard and the same type of uniform Torbin had been wearing, another man with a bald head and a thick black beard, and I almost didn't recognize Torbin.

He had cut his hair much shorter and shaved off the small bit of facial hair that had begun to form when he had got me out of the crypt. I only recognized him because of the strange shield on his back, some sort of metal with blue paint and a white bear's head in the center, along with a strange sword I recognized as a Nightingale blade, I hadn't seen one since long before I had been locked away.

"Wait here." Buramog said, walking inside

They spoke for a moment before Buramog turned around and motioned for me to come inside. Torbin was again turned away from me speaking to the others as I walked in, apparently dismissing them.

"Let's call it a night," He was saying as I entered "We've made a lot of ground for today and the war's not going anywhere."

"Aye," The older one said "I'll leave you be, lad."

The man with blonde hair started to follow them out, but Torbin stopped him and motioned for him to close the tent and stay before turning back to me.

"Didn't think I'd see you for awhile," He said with a grin "What brings you to my camp, fair maiden?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Torbin**

"Our men are dug in here," Galmar said, indicating to where Darkwater River and White River intersected "We'll continue to press south until we hit Shor's Stone. From there, I'll have to take my men through Lake Geir and liberate Ivarstead, then I'll be helping Alvairek by defending Falkreath."

"We'll have to move quickly," I said "I doubt her men can hold out for much longer, it seems the Empire's game is to completely surround us, forcing us to fight on all sides."

"If we lose Falkreath we can kiss The Rift goodbye as well," Ralof said "What if I took some men through the Velothi Mountains and got into position above Shor's stone? In the confusion of the battle by the watchtower, we'll be able to come from behind and take the village."

"You really think that would work?" I asked Ralof

"It's possible," Galmar said "However, it would divide our forces."

"That being considered, we'll link back up before long," I replied "Besides that we've got more than enough men to take Shor's Stone."

"The Imperials wouldn't suspect it either," Vilkalf said "They'll be expecting us to come directly from the front, which gives us the advantage."

"Never assume we have the advantage," I said, quoting my father's words spoken to me so long ago "Our enemy is always watching, they've probably got scouts poking around right now."

"Let them!" Vilkalf laughed "The Rift is cut off from the rest of the Imperials, they don't have the strength to withstand another push, we've almost taken all of Eastmarch as it is."

"That's what makes this so dangerous," I told them "Shor's Stone is the last line of defense in Eastmarch, they'll give it up to defend The Rift. They've pulled all their men back, I'd be willing to bet every Septim I have that taking The Rift won't be as easy as Eastmarch. The Empire will be dug in and waiting for us, they'll fight to the last man."

"They'll be met with the steel of our blades and the strength of our resolve!" Ralof said, slamming his fist on the table and causing us all to burst into laughter

"Sir," A voice sounded from the opening of my tent "Commander Torbin, there's someone here to see you, sir."

"Who is it?" I asked him, turning

"It's a woman," He said "Says she's a friend of yours, she's carrying an Elder Scroll."

Serana I thought

"Bring her to me," I told him, turning back to the others as Serana was let into my tent "Let's call it a night, we've made a lot of ground for today and the war's not going anywhere."

"Aye," Galmar said "I'll leave you be, lad."

He and Vilkalf left the tent, heading back to their own tents. Ralof began to leave but I stopped him, indicating for him to shut the tent flap and stay. He did as I asked and took a seat at the table, clearing off the map.

"Didn't think I'd see you for awhile," I said jokingly "What brings you to my camp, fair maiden?"

"You know exactly what brings me," She said "I can't go to the Dawnguard, not by myself. You're the only one I can trust right now."

"Something I should know, Commander?" Ralof asked

"Probably," I admitted "Serana, this is Ralof, my second in command."

"Is she a…." Ralof began, indicating to her eyes

"Long story, but yes, she's a Vampire," I told him "She's different though."

"Different?" He asked

"As I said, long story," I said, turning back to Serana "Now, what's the problem."

"Well I see you're quite busy with your war, and I'm sorry to distract you from that, but I felt as though you deserved the truth," She told me "As you've guessed my father cares very little for me or my well being, he only cares about this scroll."

"Seemed like a very loving man to me," I said sarcastically "Sorry, go on."

"Anyways, he needs the scroll because of a prophecy that he heard years ago," She continued "He's obsessed with it. It tells of a time where Vampires need no longer be afraid of daylight, when we will control the sun."

"Is that possible?" Ralof interrupted "How would he even accomplish such a task?"

"I'm not exactly sure how he intends to do it, but that's why I was sealed away," She said "My mother thought that the best way to stop my father was to lock me in the crypt so he couldn't get to me."

"That Elder Scroll has something to do with it," I said thoughtfully "We'll need to figure out what."

"I didn't want to go to the Dawnguard," She said "Not by myself, they'd never listen to me, but they might listen to you."

"I can take you to the Dawnguard," I told her "But you'll have to wait until we take The Rift. The Empire is trying to push in through Falkreath and box us in, tomorrow will be one of the most important battles of this war."

"Torbin," She began urgently "We may not have time to sit here and wait for you to win this battle."

"You did say that the Empire would likely fight to the last man before surrendering The Rift," Ralof said "She may be right, you may not have time to wait for the outcome of this battle."

"With my army right on the doorstep of Riften, I can't exactly abandon the men and sneak back into The Rift," I argued "They'd be looking for me."

"We've got one more problem," Serana said "To stop my father, we're going to have to be able to read the prophecy, something we can't do without a Moth Priest."

"Why not?" I asked her "Why do we need one of them?"

"The prophecy is written in the Elder Scroll," She said "Unless you can read an Elder Scroll, we'll have to find a Moth Priest."

"This just gets better and better." I grumbled

I started thinking as fast as I could, how was I going to win the battle in The Rift and help Serana defeat Harkon?

"Okay," I said "First thing's first, we take Riften and Ralof will lead my men back to Windhelm, explain the situation to Ulfric and then head to Whiterun and help stop the Imperial advance, meanwhile I'll take Serana to Fort Dawnguard and we'll get started."

"Be mindful of Alduin," Ralof told me "He still roams free in the skies, if this Harkon is to learn of him-"

"Please don't say that," I said, shooting a glare at him "If that happens then I'll kill two birds with one stone, or die trying."

"Alduin?" Serana asked "The World Eater?"

"The very same," I sighed "I still have yet to defeat him, he and his dragons are running amok in Skyrim, we're in a bit of a state of panic at the moment."

"Well then," Serana laughed "How's this? As payment for helping me defeat my father, I'll help you defeat Alduin."

I laughed. Serana was a hell of a fighter, no doubt about it, but I was the Dragonborn and I had enough trouble facing Alduin with a dragon on my side, but I suppose one doesn't win a battle without believing they can.

"What's funny?" She demanded

"Nothing. Ralof, go get your men ready," I said, looking at her curiously "You're a Nord, correct?"

"How kind of you to notice." She said, playfully batting her eyelashes

"Well then, Serana," I said, standing up to full height as I did when addressing my soldiers "Your country calls upon your aid to free her from tyranny."


	6. Chapter 6

**Serana**

I was no soldier, but Torbin's plan was a good one. He informed me that he was a former member of the Thieve's guild in Riften, which was where he had obtained the Nightingale blade.

"I want you to sneak into Riften," He said, handing me a folded note and a sapphire "Go to The Bee and Barb inn, there should be a woman inside named Sapphire, give her this gem and tell her Torbin sent you, ask her to take you Brynjolf and deliver this letter."

"What's the letter?" I asked him

"We'll need the help of the Thieve's guild, the letter requests Brynjolf's aid to sabotage the Imperial defenses while we march on the city," He said, reaching over to his bedroll "Here, this'll serve you better than that dagger."

He handed me a beautifully crafted Elven sword, I took it in awe. I had seen many swords just like it before, but this one was taken care of by the hands of a master swordsman. The blade was one the sharpest I had ever seen, and the metal shined and glistened.

"I picked that up of a Thalmor general a few days ago," He shrugged "Elven weapons aren't really my style."

His eyes strayed to the Elder Scroll on my back, and I knew what he was thinking. It wouldn't be a smart move to carry it into the city, especially if I was captured. Along with having a note from a Stormcloak while I'm inside an Imperial controlled city, there's no telling what they would do if they found the scroll. But I wasn't really sure if I could trust Torbin yet, sure he seemed like a nice enough person but it was possible I just hadn't gotten to know him yet, still what choice did I have?

"Will you keep this safe?" I asked, taking the scroll off of my back

"Of course." He said, taking it from me

He walked to a chest in the corner of the room and opened it, setting the scroll down inside and closing it again. He locked it and then nealt down and whispered something, causing a greenish glow to appear around the chest for a moment before dying down.

"Even with my key," He explained, sticking the key inside his bedroll "Nobody will be able to open the chest without deactivating the enchantment."

"How long do I have to get to Riften?" I asked him

"Ralof will be moving his men into position a little bit later tonight," He said "I'll be bringing my men to Shor's Stone at sunrise, we'll begin a siege in The Rift around midday."

"Do I need to sabotage any Imperial defenses on the way there?" I asked him as we left the tent

"No," He told me "I'll take care of anything outside the city, you and the guild will work inside."

He approached my horse and patted it gently. It panted with exhaustion, I had nearly ridden it to death on the way here. Torbin smiled gently at the horse, guiding it over to the watering hole.

"Your horse is exhausted," He remarked "You'll have to take mine if you intend to make it on time."

He walked over to a small clearing where there were several horses standing around. He selected a solid black one and grabbed it's reigns, leading it over to me.

"This is Midnight," He said, adjusting it's saddle "She was a gift from my father many years ago, I got her when she was newborn, I've cared for her and raised her from the time she was a baby."

Midnight nudged me with her nose, giving me a sniff. I couldn't help but giggle, I loved horses, didn't trust people who didn't.

"Mind if I ask you something?" I asked, mounting the steed

"Of course, milady," He said, mock bowing "How may I be of assistance?"

"Are your parents proud of you?" I asked "Even though half of Skyrim sees you as a traitor, do they still stand by you and defend you."

The grin slid from his face, and was replaced by a dark look. He turned away from me and looked out over the Stormcloak camp. He seemed lost in time, as if he were reliving memories he'd much rather forget.

"I hope so." Was all he said

 **Several hours later**

When I reached Riften, the city seemed to be in a panic. I heard guards talking about the nearing Stormcloaks, and their only hope against the assault was if Legate Rikke could push through from Falkreath with her forces and drive back the Stormcloaks.

"Stop!" A guard yelled, drawing his bow "State your business!"

"Just a traveler," I said, lowering my hood and hoping he couldn't see my eyes "I'm looking for a place to rest, this was the nearest city."

He eyed me wearily and then lowered his weapon, allowing me to pass. I dismounted Midnight near the stables and headed towards the city gate, the guards gave me a lecture about staying civil and no speaking against the Empire inside the city, then I was allowed inside.

"Excuse me," I asked a passing woman "Where's The Bee and Barb?"

"Right over there, dear," She said, pointing to a building in the center of the town "The finest mead and the softest beds."

I thanked her and continued across the bridge and into the inn. The place was packed wall to wall with Imperial soldiers and travelers, singing, drinking, dancing, flirting. At the back of the bar, I noticed a woman leaning against the wall, occasionally sipping from her mug. Even from across the room, I could see her brilliant, blue eyes.

I crossed the room and leaned against the wall next to her. She raised an eyebrow but said nothing as I reached into my bag and gripped the sapphire in my hand.

"Are you Sapphire?" I asked her, making sure nobody else could hear us

"Who wants to know?" She demanded, reaching for her knife

"Torbin sent me," I told her, holding out the sapphire "I was told to give this to you, and you were to take me to Brynjolf, I have a letter for him."

"Torbin?" She asked "How do you know him?"

"Long story," I told her "I was locked in a crypt and he freed me, I need his help so in return I'm helping him. His army is a few miles outside the city, he needs the guild to help sabotage the defenses."

She regarded me for a moment before snatching the sapphire from my hand, and waving for me to follow her. We left the inn and headed to the graveyard at the back of the city. There were a few guards patrolling but we let them pass and then slipped into a tomb, she knelt down and clicked something and the tomb slid back, revealing an opening.

"Hurry," She hissed "Before somebody sees you."

I slipped inside closely followed by Sapphire, she waited for the hatch to close before turning back to me. She reached for the trapdoor next to my foot and pulled it open, revealing a ladder leading down into what appeared to be the sewers.

I dropped down onto the stone floor below me. A few people looked up as Sapphire and I descended but nobody paid us any mind.

"Where's Brynjolf?" Sapphire called

"Over here, las!" A man called from the table across the room

We crossed the cavern over to the table, where Brynjolf sat with a blonde, Imperial woman. Sapphire motioned for me to hand Brynjolf the note. He took it silently, opening it up with a puzzled look on his face.

"What's it say?" The woman asked

"Hang on, Vex." He said, his eyes darting across the paper

When he was done, he passed the letter to Vex, who read it out loud for a few others who had gathered around.

 _-Brynjolf_

 _I wish I could be contacting you under better circumstances, but it's urgent. As you may have heard, there's been a recent increase in Vampire attacks across Skyrim. I headed out to help the Dawnguard when I discovered Serana, the woman Sapphire brought to you. There is an extremely important matter I need to attend to, but I can't do it until we've taken The Rift. By the time Serana has arrived to you, my men will be in position to attack Shor's Stone, I need the guild to stage sabotages around the city, taking out Imperial defenses, get some of their men to follow you into the woods and thin out their ranks, anything you can do to help. I'm hoping this battle can be over quickly, I'll see you soon._

 _-Torbin_

"Well you heard him," Someone said "Let's get to it!"

"Hold on a moment," Vex said, waving him off "Brynjolf, we must think about what we're doing."

"Of course we do," Brynjolf said "However, our allegiance is not to one side in this war, our allegiance is to Torbin. He was once a member of our family, and he's grown into a wise and fair Dragonborn. If he had joined the Empire, perhaps we would be helping him defend the city."

He stood on the table, calling for everyone to give him their attention. All the guild members stopped what they were doing and looked over at him, some even running in from some unseen room in a hallway.

"I will not force anyone to go!" Brynjolf began "But a member of our family has asked our assistance. As many of you know, it has been some time since we said goodbye to Torbin, before he joined up with the Stormcloaks. His army stands ready on Riften's doorstep, poised to drive the Empire out, he has asked for our help. We will be doing anything we can to stick a thorn in the Empire's side before Torbin arrives!"

"He left!" A recruit yelled from the doorway "Why does he get the right to request us to get involved in a war that gives no profit to our guild?"

Before Brynjolf could respond, a muscular man in leather armor grabbed the recruit and threw him against the wall, getting up in his face.

"Listen here you little whelp!" The man yelled at him "Regardless of weather he has left these halls or not, Torbin was ten times the thief you were, the boy could rob you blind and you'd never even know he was there, show some respect!"

"Delvin!" Brynjolf called "Release him!"

The man, who I assumed to be Delvin, dropped the recruit and composed himself, motioning for Brynjolf to continue.

"If you do not wish to take arms against the Empire, I will not force you to," Brynjolf told them "However, should you wish to stand with me and help our brother, grab your weapons and prepare! Which of you will take up arms for your brother?"

"I!" Delvin yelled

"I!" An Elf yelled, raising a bow

All around the room, guild member raised their weapons and began yelling. Soon, nearly everybody in the room was yelling a battle cry that could probably be heard in the city above. For the first time, I began to realize just how much influence Torbin held in Skyrim.


	7. Chapter 7

**Torbin**

"Serana should have arrived in the city by now," Elegvir said, grabbing his bow "Should we get moving?"

"Yeah," I sighed, grabbing my shield off the ground "You and Ralof get the men ready, if we time it right we can distract the Empire with the assault, maybe make the sabotage job a bit easier."

"If the guild will help." Elegvir said

"At least some of them will," I said, confident in my words "Get ready to move."

"Aye sir!" He said, saluting and heading to get the men ready

I looked around at small town we had ripped from Imperial control. The people didn't seem any happier, but they didn't exactly look upset. They seemed curious, as if they were wondering if we meant them any harm, it'd been a long time since Stormcloaks held territory in The Rift.

I found myself thinking about what Serana had asked me, about my parents being proud of me. I'd never know, but I hoped they would be. I'd tried to live my life the best I could, but I knew this isn't what they'd wanted for me, they'd have wanted to buy a house and start a family. The closest thing I had to a family was Gerdur, Hod, Frodnar, and Ralof, who had helped me after mine and Ralof's escape from Helgen, and had become my second family. I considered Gerdur my sister and would protect her as such, and I was always welcome to stay whenever I was passing through, even though Hod was always getting on me about settling down and choosing a wife.

"You're the Dragonborn, Torbin," He had told me the last time I saw him "You have your choice of any girl in the land, why not take advantage of that?"

"Maybe it's not the company of a woman I'm searching for." I told him

"Oh?" He asked "Then what is it you're searching for? The company of a man?"

The two of us roared in laughter as I tossed an apple at him, narrowly missing his head.

"Commander?" I heard Ralof's voice rip me from my thoughts "The men are ready."

"Good," I said, adjusting my armor a bit "Let's get ready to move."

"Very good, sir," Ralof said, turning to the men "Aye, you lot! Move out!"

"Has Galmar left yet?" I asked

"They headed out a few minutes ago," He informed me "Our spies say Serana has just arrived in Riften, so your former family should have plenty of time to raise some hell before we get there."

"They're still my family, Ralof," I told him "They took me in when I had nowhere to go."

"You could've stayed with Gerdur," Ralof laughed "Besides that, I'm not sure why it took you two years to make your way to Windhelm."

"I've told you before," I said "There was a bit to think about, after all, Ulfric is-"

"Oh, I know," He said, cutting me off "Trust me, I hear quite a bit of Ulfric's dislike of Elves, and rightfully so, many of the veterans of the Great War are bitter."

"My hatred is reserved for the Thalmor," I told him "Not all of the Elves side with them, Elegvir for example."

"And I understand that," Ralof said "But still, you can see why."

"I see why," I told him "I'm not a veteran of the Great War though. This war is ours, this war is the one we fight, and if it was up to me, we wouldn't even be fighting the Empire, we'd be figuring out how to force the Thalmor away from our lands."

"But it isn't up to you," Ralof told me "Your war is against the Empire, the Thalmor are something we'll have to figure out."

"I don't like fighting an unnecessary war," I told him "While many view the Empire as our enemy, it's the Thalmor that keeps them here in the first place, if we were to destroy the Thalmor, the Empire would just leave and head back to Cyrodiil."

Ralof thought for a moment, letting my words digest. Not many people actually thought very deeply into the war, or considered the options it opened. To many, it was very straightforward, it was either the Empire or the Stormcloaks, but there was so much more to it than just that. The Empire didn't even want to be in Skyrim, that much was clear, and the Stormcloaks wanted them out, but it was the Thalmor that was keeping them in Skyrim. Many in Skyrim acted as though defeating the Empire would mean peace in the land, but if the Empire couldn't handle the Stormcloaks then the Thalmor would step in. Ulfric understood that the Thalmor would need to be dealt with after the Empire, but he didn't seem to realize that a war against the Imperials wasn't even necessary to defeat the Thalmor.

"We'll debate politics later," I said "Bring me a horse and let's move, I've got a lot on my plate right now and I'd like to mark something off my checklist, feel accomplished for once."

Ralof did as I told him and the army was soon on the move, heading deeper into the Rift. I'd left three thousand men to defend the camp, bringing eleven thousand to take the city, which would be more than enough but it was nice to be able to have wave after wave of men in case the city didn't fall in the first push. Our spies had reported back that the Empire had around six to seven thousand soldiers in the city.

After we had been marching for a few hours, I heard someone begin singing, and many others soon followed. I gave a small chuckle as I recognized the song, The Age of Oppression.

"We drink to our youth, to the days come and gone!" The army sang as we marched "For the age of oppression is now nearly done! We'll drive out the Empire from this land that we own, with our blood and our steel we will take back our home!"

The song echoed throughout The Rift as eleven thousand voices sang in loud, clear voices, probably alerting any Imperial within miles. It didn't matter, they knew we were coming anyways, and we might as well show them that our spirits were high.

"All hail to Ulfric, you are the High King!" I sang with them "In your great honor we drink and we sing!"

"The city is coming into view," Ralof said as the men continued singing "It looks like Serana did her job."

In the distance, I could see the faint outline of Riften, as well as the small plumes of smoke rising from a few different places. In front of the city, stretching for miles, was a huge formation of Imperials, standing with their swords drawn.

I didn't really like fighting on horseback, and I normally dismounted before a battle if I had the chance, sending the horse away from the battle. I slid off my horse, grabbing my sword off the side of his saddle as I did so.

"Halt!" I yelled

"Halt!" The cry was echoed throughout the ranks

With the Imperial army standing only a few hundred yards away from us, I figured the time to say something to give the men some spirit would be now. I was okay with words, and being the Dragonborn, my voice carried great power.

"Sons and daughters of Skyrim!" I yelled to them "On this day, we raise our blades in defense of our country, in defense of those who cannot raise a blade for themselves! They come to our home, take our lands, kill our people, and they'll be driven out!"

The army let out a battle cry that probably sent a shudder through the Imperial ranks, a deafening roar the shook the ground and struck fear into the army across from us.

"Today comrades, our goal is not only victory, our goal is vengeance!" I yelled raising my sword "For the people, for Ulfric, and for Skyrim! ATTACK!"

With those words, the battle cry got louder as the army surged forward towards the city. We still had a ways to go as the city was just barely in view, but the Imperials had only one line of defense to break, which would make this battle much shorter. As we charged forward, the Imperials gave a battle cry to match ours and charged to meet us, their weapons held high.

I slowed my pace a bit to conserve my strength, knowing I would need it for the coming battle. The Imperial formation loomed ever closer, and I saw a storm of arrows bearing down on us.

"Arrows!" Elegvir yelled, raising his shield

I raised mine as well, feeling the thunk as the arrows bounced off. A few men behind me were cut down as the sound of arrows piercing flesh hit my ears, the sounds of screaming soldiers began to cut through the air.

Moments later our armies clashed, slamming into each other with the force of two angry dragons fighting to the death. The sound of battle cries were replaced with metal bouncing off metal and the screams of the wounded. I blocked an Imperial's sword and slashed at his throat, feeling my sword rip into his neck.

"FUS RO DAH!" I shouted into the Imperial ranks

An unseen force slammed into them, sending men flying in all directions, either landing injured or dead. Elegvir ripped his war axe from a Legate's skull as he raised his shield to block another soldier's sword, turning and kicking him to the ground in the same motion.

A storm of arrows came from behind me, dropping into the Imperial ranks. I cut down another Imperial as our armies began exchanging arrows, firing as close to the center ranks as they could.

"MID VUR SHAAN!" I yelled, turning my head slightly towards my men

I had learned of this shout on my first visit to Solstheim while digging through some old tombs, something I did whenever I began to run low of coins. It was meant to give courage to those who stood with me, to lend some of my strength to them, which was the reason my army rarely retreated.

Another Imperial rushed me and I slammed my shield into his chest, knocking him to the ground. Before he had time to recover I plunged my sword into his chest, cutting through his armor like paper.

"Arrows!" Somebody yelled again "On the left!"

I turned and raised my shield, but felt no arrows hit it. Out of the corner of my eye I saw an Imperial take one to the neck and fall, prompting me to lower my shield and look to the direction it had come from. It took a moment to spot them as they were dug in, but there was no mistaking them, it was the guild.


	8. Chapter 8

**Serana**

Word had spread like a wildfire, Torbin's men had taken Shor's Stone, he stood directly on the doorstep of The Rift and was poised to strike hard and fast. Many of the citizens had taken to rioting or attacking guards, leading to either their deaths or their arrests.

"The Empire's certainly got their hands full," Vex laughed, watching another Imperial catapult fall into the river "Brynjolf's work is just beautiful."

A few of the Imperial Legates had gone missing thanks to yours truly. I hadn't fed since Torbin's blood had dropped into the tomb, bringing me back to consciousness, and they didn't taste bad, Torbin's was better, maybe his dragon blood. A few more explosions sounded, knocking down some Imperial sentry towers.

"We can't control these people and hold against the Stormcloaks!" A Legate was saying to another officer as they passed "Start sending the people into their homes, I don't want anybody outside!"

Vex and I were perched on the roof of the orphanage, watching the Imperials struggle to maintain control of the citizens while also preparing for the invasion.

"Vex." Somebody whispered behind us

We turned to see a thief who's name I did not yet know climbing up onto the roof, ducking down to avoid being seen by the guards. He was a young Nord, with long, brown hair and small beard.

"Niruin is in place, as soon as the battle starts he'll be ready to spring the trap." He reported

"Excellent, Vipir," She said "I'd give you a horse and tell you to go help him, but you'd probably forget it and run all the way there."

"Oh shut up," He grumbled, sliding back down "I'll never hear the end of that."

Vex chuckled and raised her spyglass, peering out over the horizon. Way off in the distance, I could hear what sounded like men singing, although I couldn't tell what they were saying. After a few moments though, it began to get a bit more clear, although I still did not recognize the song, and I could now hear the sound of marching.

"We're the children of Skyrim and we fight all our lives, and when Sovngarde beckons, everyone of us dies!" They sang "But this land is ours and we'll see it wiped clean, of the scourge that has sullied our hopes and our dreams!"

"That's him." Vex whispered "By the Nine, there's thousands of them."

"Let me see." I said

She handed me the spyglass and I peered through it. I had to sweep the land for a moment before I spotted them, thousands of Stormcloaks marching directly towards the city. They were just over a mile out and the Imperials stood ready, that's when things began to break down inside the city.

"For Ulfric!" I heard someone yell

Vex and I turned towards the sound of the voice, spotting a few hundred Riften guards wearing their uniforms identical to the Stormcloaks except donning purple rather than blue. They charged forward, rushing the Imperials still inside the city. Within moments, the sound of swords and screams filled the air, but over all the noise I heard a battle cry erupt from the Stormcloaks as they charged forward.

"It's started," Vex said "Come on, let's go."

"Go where?" I asked, dropping down after her "Aren't we going to help?"

"Oh we will, my dear," She said "But not by watching."

Just as we began to move, I heard Torbin's voice. It sounded like he was speaking in some old language, and it was extremely loud, echoing through the city as some unseen force shook the city's walls.

"I hate it when he does that." Vex grumbled, losing her footing

"Hey!" An Imperial yelled "You two, stop!"

As he moved closer to us, Vex lashed out with her dagger and stuck him in the ribs. The color drained from his face as she ripped it out and kicked him over the side of the railing and into the river below. I drew the sword Torbin had given me as Vex and I slipped through the battle raging inside the city, heading towards the stairs leading to the lower levels of Riften

"What's the plan?" I asked her, ducking a sword and cutting down another Imperial

"Well," She said as we reached to bottom of the stairs "The Empire holds two crucial things the Stormcloaks will need in order to control The Rift, the city of Riften and the river running through the city. While the Empire has ships on that river, the battle cannot be won."

"So how do we take care of the ships?" I asked her

"I'm glad you asked," She said, whipping out a map with a mischievous grin "Now, the Empire still has four active catapults left around the city. The most convenient one is sitting right here on this dock, it's covered by the buildings right here so the Stormcloaks can't take a shot at it without risking hitting civilians."

"So we're going to use that catapult to hit the Empire on the river," I said, catching on "But there's no way we can do much damage before they return fire."

"I've thought of that," Vex assured me "The other members of the guild should already be working on the other three, we may not be able to take them all down, but we will do enough damage to force them into retreat."

The way Vex spoke when she planned made you feel like nothing could go wrong, I felt as if she had thought of everything, left no holes in it whatsoever. We went to work quickly, slipping up onto the roof of what appeared to be a boathouse, looking down onto the catapult below us. It was manned by a crew of six Imperials, four to fire and two to guard the area around it. I noticed two more guild members on the building across from us, their bows ready and awaiting Vex's signal.

I saw her give a curt nod and draw her dagger again. The two thieves fired their arrows and each found a mark, dropping the two guards. Vex and I took the opportunity to slide down and attack, catching two of them by surprise. The other two had their weapons in hand but, before they could move, the guild members above dropped down onto them, digging knives into their throats.

"Excellent," Vex said "Quickly, turn it."

We each took an end and pushed. It didn't budge at first, then it slowly but surely slid and creaked the other way, turning towards the Imperial fleet docked just outside the city. Although I couldn't see it from where I stood, I could hear the battle raging in the plains outside the city, and it was getting closer.

"What about the others?" The thief asked

"Forget them," Vex said "They'll do their part, now help me load this thing."

Vex and one of thieves aimed and fired while the other thief and I loaded it. The first shot soared high, striking the mast of an Imperial battleship. Just after ours struck, two more flew overhead, knocking a hole into another ship.

"I hope we get to keep one of these when it's all over," Vex cackled "I love it."

We fired another volley, and judging by the amount of rocks flying over our heads, the others had done their job. I had just reloaded the catapult when Torbin's voice echoed in my ears again speaking in that ancient language.

"VEN GAAR NOS! ZUN HAAL VIIK!" He yelled, shaking the ground with his voice "FAAS RU MAAR! YOL TOOR SHUL!"

"What is he doing?" I asked, losing my footing as the ground beneath me rumbled

"Thu'um," Vex told me, firing the catapult "He's the Dragonborn."

"I know that," I told her "But what is he doing?"

"Shouting," She explained "Ask him to show you sometime, he can explain it better than I can."

"Vex!" Somebody yelled from the wall above us "They're starting to retreat! Adjust your fire, hit the shore!"

I looked over to where he was pointing, spotting the Imperials in full retreat. The Stormcloaks had broken off in two directions, half heading towards the city while the other half gave chase to the Imperials.

I helped Vex move the catapult to the side, firing it a few more times at the retreating Imperial soldiers before they got out of range. I didn't realize how exhausted I was until things started to slow down, I had been going nonstop for almost two days, I needed sleep.

"Come on," Vex said, heading back towards the lower entrance "It's been ages since the last time I saw Torbin."

"How long has it been?" I asked her

"He was seventeen the last we saw him," Vex told me "Quite a sad tale, just a kid with barely any money roaming around Skyrim looking no further than where he would sleep that night or where his next meal would come from."

"What changed?" I asked

"He went on a job to Whiterun," She began "While he was there he ended up getting into some trouble and did a job for the Jarl to get out of it. When he returned, the Jarl informed him that a dragon was attacking, so the fool goes out to help."

"Did he win?" I laughed "Or did the dragon give him more than he bargained for?"

"If that were the case he probably would've never left," Vex sighed "He comes back telling us this crazy story about how he killed a dragon and absorbed it's soul, starts telling us he's the Dragonborn. Didn't believe him until word made it's way down to the city a few hours later, he left the next day, said he had a duty to the people to fulfil. The Imperials took control of the city a bit later, so he hasn't been back since."

I fell silent after this, finding myself contemplating what Vex had just told me. I didn't know anything about Torbin other than who he sided with in the war and his name, but from what I had heard from people who had known him, it seemed like I had made the right decision in who to trust.


	9. Chapter 9

**Serana**

By nightfall, the Stormcloaks had total control in The Rift. After promising me we would head to Fort Dawnguard in the morning, Torbin celebrated the victory with his men the only way Nords knew how to, drinking. We sat in Mistveil Keep with Jarl Laila, eating and drinking. Even the Thieve's Guild was welcomed to join in, as it had been their sabotage which helped Torbin win the battle so quickly.

Just when I was starting to enjoy myself a bit, the front door flew open. In the doorway stood a Nord with long, blonde hair, dressed in fine furs, and flanked on both sides by several Stormcloak soldiers.

"Torbin!" The man laughed, his voice booming around the great hall

"Ulfric," Torbin laughed, standing "I didn't think you'd arrive until tomorrow."

"I didn't want to miss the celebration," He said, embracing him "You've won a great victory for us here today. Laila, my lady, it is good to see you sitting on your throne once again."

"I'm glad to hear you say that," Torbin told him "Because I need to leave again in the morning."

"Leave?" Ulfric asked him, taking a seat next to the Jarl "You've only just returned."

"Honestly, I wouldn't have if the situation hadn't been so bad," Torbin admitted "But something requires my personal attention."

"I don't even want to know," Ulfric laughed, grabbing a glass of mead "I can't even count the number of crazy stories I've heard about you."

"Like?" Torbin asked, returning to his seat

"The Giants outside Winterhold to begin with," He said "Heard you killed five of them."

"There was only two." Torbin laughed, rolling his eyes

"And who is this lovely young woman?" Ulfric asked, looking to me and raising an eyebrow "One of the Riften lasses come to give her savior a token of her gratitude?"

"Excuse me?" I began, glaring at him "I'm not-"

"Serana," Torbin hissed, putting a hand on my arm "She's my companion, she'll be traveling with me in the morning."

"Oh?" Ulfric said, taking a closer look at me "Oh, I see. Tell me, where does a Vampire hunter pick up a Vampire?"

He had lowered his voice so that nobody else could hear, which I was glad for. There was less than a handful of people that actually knew I was a Vampire and I prefered to keep it that way. I stopped listening while Torbin gave Ulfric a short answer, leaving out the Elder Scroll and my father.

"Excuse me!" Jarl Laila called, standing and raising her glass "I'd like to make a toast. When we lost the city to the Empire, I was thrown in jail for refusing to renounce the Stormcloaks and rule the throne for the Empire."

This was met with jeers and curses to the Empire from around the room. Many of them slammed their fists down on the table or jammed a knife into the wood, the entire room was overwhelmed with the smell of sweat and alcohol.

"I sat in that cell for almost two years waiting for the Stormcloaks to return," She continued "When I heard news that the Dragonborn was returning to the city to take it back for Ulfric, it was as though an immense weight was lifted off my shoulders. I raise my glass today for the Dragonborn, and give him the thanks of my entire family for what he has done."

"AYE!" The room echoed, raising their glasses

I looked over at Torbin, expecting him to flash a grin or wave at everybody, but he wasn't. He was staring Laila and her two children with an almost neutral expression. He leaned over and said something to Ulfric before rising from his seat and leaving Mistveil Keep. I hesitated before going after him, he looked like he just wanted a moment alone, but sometimes talking helped, so I followed him.

I finally found him by the boathouses looking out over the river. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even hear me approaching until I was right behind him. He turned around and gave me a small, half-hearted smile.

"Don't care for Stormcloak parties?" He asked

"I don't like being around huge groups of people," I shrugged "Why'd you just up and leave like that."

"I needed some air," He said, not looking at me "Thought I'd come out here, feel the breeze."

"Do you think I'm stupid?" I laughed

"No," He shrugged "But I don't want to talk about it, and I really don't think you'll make me."

I didn't say anything, he was right, I couldn't make him talk. We stood in silence, staring out over the flowing river. I found myself wondering about his past again, where he had come from, who his parents were, and decided to ask.

"So earlier," I began "You said you hoped that your parents were proud of you, what did you mean?"

"What do you think I meant?" He asked "I hope they're proud."

"Wouldn't you know?" I asked him "Haven't you asked them?"

"No," He said quietly "I haven't."

"How-" I started

"Enough," He said forcefully "I don't want to talk about it, that's final."

I let the matter drop, sensing that it was a sore subject. I understood more than most, I didn't like talking about my family either. I couldn't help but wonder what exactly made it such a sore subject for him, if maybe his family was just full of bad people and he didn't like associating with them, or something else.

"So," Torbin spoke first "Were you always a vampire?"

"That's..." I searched for the right explanation "A long story."

"I want to hear it." Torbin told me

I considered what i would say carefully, I actually considered just saying nothing at all, but I figured it would be a good way to get Torbin's mind off whatever it was that was bothering him. I still wasn't sure what to make of him even though he did seem to care about me, which put him at the top of my most trusted list for the moment.

"I guess we have to go way back, to the very beginning," I said "Do you know where vampirism came from?"

"Don't know too much about it," He shrugged "But I would guess it came from a Deadric lord."

"Exactly, the first Vampire came from Molag Bal, not a willing subject," I explained "For those willing to subjugate themselves, he will bestow the gift, but we must prove powerful in our own right."

"So what about you?" He asked "How did you actually become one then?"

"The ceremony was...degrading, let's not revisit that," I told him, shuddering "But, we all took part in it. Not really wholesome family activity, but I guess it's something you do when you give yourselves to a Daedric lord."

"And your family?" He asked "How has it affected them?"

"Well you've met my father, not exactly the most stable person," I said "Eventually he drove my mother crazy with him, it all ended up with me being locked in that crypt, until you came along."

"Are you alright?" He asked me

I must've had a look on my face that gave it away. No, I was absolutely not alright, my world was falling down around me and it seemed Skyrim was in about five different types of danger, the only person in the entire world I could trust was somebody I hadn't even known for a few days, but a girl in Skyrim has to stay strong.

"I'm fine," I lied "I think I just need some time to adjust."

"Why don't you go get some sleep?" He said "I'll wake you up tomorrow and we'll head to the Dawnguard."

I agreed with him and headed off to Haelga's bunkhouse to get a bed. My thoughts stayed on what the next few weeks or so would hold for me, a small part of my knew this wouldn't end until either my father or Torbin and I were both dead. I knew that even if Torbin was killed, I couldn't stop, and if I was killed, Torbin _wouldn't_ stop.


	10. Chapter 10

**Torbin**

When sunrise came, Serana and I left Riften. She rode the horse she had stolen from her father and I rode Midnight. The ride was quiet for a while, then Serana finally spoke.

"You mind if I ask you something?" She asked

"Even if I did," I said, grinning "You'd ask anyways."

"True," She shrugged "Yesterday, during the battle, Vex called what you did a Thu'um, what is that exactly?"

"Being the Dragonborn, I can learn words of power that Dragons speak," I told her "These words are called Thu'um or the Voice, there are a number of things I'm able to do with them."

"Like?" She asked, cocking her head curiously

"Well, as you saw yesterday I can do things like giving my men the courage to fight," I said "But I can clear away any fog, I can see those that are hidden, I even learned one that takes away a Dragon's ability to fly and use it's Thu'um."

"All that power, and you turned down my father's gift," She said, shaking her head "You're something else."

Serana and I continued down the path until we came in sight of Dayspring Canyon, the entrance to Fort Dawnguard. It was a calm day, the sun shown brightly and there was a gentle breeze, the birds chirped in the distance.

"Once we're inside, stay close to me," I said "I'll do what I can to ensure they don't attack you."

"What you can?" Serana asked skeptically "What if they attack anyways?"

"I've already made plenty of enemies in Skyrim," I laughed "Your father, the Empire, the Silver Hand, Alduin, what's a few more."

"How do you go anywhere?" She asked in mock amazement "Doesn't anybody like you?"

"Obviously you do," I said "You've stuck around this long."

She laughed, it was full of youth and wonder, nothing like the pain and sorrow she hid on the inside. She could fight and didn't mind getting a bit dirty, but she was as beautiful as any girl I'd ever seen, a rare find in Skyrim. Most girls were had either never held a weapon in their lives and had sat in a castle all day or were just really ugly. Sure there was ones liked Gerdur and Sapphire but Gerdur was taken and Sapphire was more like family than anything.

"So let me ask _you_ a question," I said "I've heard a bit about your father, but how about your mother?"

"I don't know," She said sadly "She locked me away, swore it was for my own good, and disappeared, I don't have a clue where she is."

I let the matter drop, sensing it was a sore subject. It wasn't long before we approached the small, cave-like opening to Dayspring Canyon.

"Is this it?" Serana asked, eyeing the cave entrance

"Yeah," I said, dismounting Midnight "Midnight doesn't like caves, I usually let her roam, she'll come when she's called."

Serana got out of her saddle and grabbed the Elder Scroll from the side, securing it on her back. We entered into Dayspring Canyon, coming up a few minutes later on the other side. In the distance, Fort Dawnguard loomed over the bright sky, casting an almost eerie shadow over the mountainside.

"Wow," Serana said, stepping outside "It's breathtaking."

"It's something," I admitted "A good place to hide if anything."

We continued up the path and eventually came to the front gate, still partially under construction. The guards at the front raised their weapons, but lowered them after I removed my helmet. As we drew closer, I could see them giving Serana some distasteful looks.

The walk to the front door of the castle was almost like a walk of shame for her, everybody we passed gave her a disgusted look, some even going so far as to spew a few insults at her. By the time we had entered Fort Dawnguard, I could see Serana might lose her cool at any moment.

"Torbin?" I heard Celann's voice from the hall to my left "Back so soon? Who's this you've-"

He stopped dead when she turned to look at him, casually laying a hand on his sword.

"Celann," I said warningly "Stand down, she's friendly."

"You can't seriously look me in the eye and tell me this thing is friendly." Celann said, glaring at her

"We are dealing with things far beyond our control," I said forcefully, stepping between them "I need to speak to Isran."

His eyes flicked back and forth between Serana and I, eyeing the Elder scroll on her back. Before he could say anything, we heard footsteps coming down the stairs, and Isran emerged from the staircase.

"What is this?" Isran demanded, pointing at Serana "What is It doing here? Is It your prisoner?"

"No," I said, turning to face him "Her name is Serana, yes she is a Vampire, but she's sought me out for help. This is the Vampire I told you about."

"Bring It upstairs," He said "I don't want It scaring my recruits."

We followed Isran upstairs while Celann went to train the new guys, once we had reached a spot where Isran was sure nobody could see us, her turned back to me.

"Understand that I respect you, Torbin, and I think you are a great warrior, worthy of the title Dragonborn," Isran said "But you had better have a good reason for bringing this thing here."

"Serana?" I said, turning to her "Care to explain?"

She stepped forward, removing the Elder Scroll off of her back, perhaps for effect, and looking up to face Isran.

"My father, Lord Harkon, discovered a prophecy," She began "Called the Tyranny of the Sun, it tells of a time when Vampires could control the sun, when we would never have to fear it."

"How could that be possible?" Isran demanded

"I'm not sure," Serana said "But it has something to do with this Elder Scroll, but we can't read it without a Moth Priest."

"So find one," Isran said "If it'll help us stop these Vampires we'll find the damn Moth Priest."

"Where exactly do we find a Moth Priest?" Serana asked

"We'll have to ask around," I said "Maybe someone's seen one."

Isran turned to face me, his eyes still flicking back to Serana occasionally, anger flashing across his face.

"Okay, I've heard what It has to say," He spat "Now, give me a good reason not to kill this thing."

"She's important," I said, stepping in front of Serana "I'm not sure how, but she fits into all of this, she can help us."

Isran paused, thinking. I didn't want to have to fight my way out of Fort Dawnguard, I needed all the allies I could get. Serana's fingers were curled on her sword, but she never got the chance to draw it, Isran looked up and grunted begrudgingly, accepting defeat on the matter.

"Fine," He said, glaring at Serana again "But if It hurts anybody it's gonna be on your head, now go find a Moth Priest."

With those words, he stormed off, heading back down the steps and out the front door. I turned to face Serana, who was flushed with relief.

"He's nice," She commented "So where do we start?"

"We'll head for the College of Winterhold," I said "Urag is bound to know if any Moth Priests have been through."

"I don't like snow," Serana sighed "But I guess there's no choice."


	11. Chapter 11

**Heads up, I know there isn't actually a shout to summon Paarthurnax but I needed a way to move the story along so bear with me here.**

 **Chapter 11**

 **Serana**

It took three days to get into Winterhold, having to sneak past the Thalmor and Imperial soldiers put several more hours on our journey, but we finally made it inside. Urag, an old friend of Torbin's, informed us that a Moth Priest had been seen in Dragon Bridge, so we set out again, determined to find him.

By the time we arrived in Dragon Bridge, I was sure the Moth Priest was gone. Torbin seemed inclined to ask around rather than continue the hunt, so we headed to the local inn.

"A Moth Priest?" The barkeep asked "Yeah, seen one a few days ago, headed south."

"Anybody else been here looking for him?" Torbin asked

"Now that you mention it," He said thoughtfully "There were three others, looked like vampires to me but I can't say for sure, never seen one before."

Torbin and I thanked him for his time and left the inn, headed south out of the town. We had only gotten a half mile out of the town before we saw smoke in the distance. Torbin and I exchanged worried glances before he spurred Midnight to a run, headed directly towards the smoke.

Once we had arrived, we discovered a carriage that had clearly been ambushed. There were several dead guards wearing Imperial uniforms, some of them badly burned. The carriage itself was still on fire, and just off to the side was a body not wearing Imperial armor. Torbin dismounted Midnight and kicked the body over, revealing a pale faced Orc, his fangs still dripping with dried blood.

"A letter," Torbin said, leaning down and digging through his pack "I have new orders for you. Prepare an ambush just south of Dragon Bridge. Take the Moth Priest to Forebears' Holdout for safekeeping until I can break his will. Malkus."

"Doesn't sound familiar to me," I told him "What about this Forebears' Holdout?"

"I know where it is," Torbin said grimly "Isran had one of the new guys scouting it a few weeks ago, he never came back. Isran never followed up on it because we got the intel about Dimhollow Crypt a few days later."

He pulled a map of the region from Midnight's saddlebag, looking at it until he found a small drawing of a cave.

"Right there," He said, pointing at it "It's just a little bit east of here, shouldn't be more than a few minutes walking."

"Well let's get going," I told him "We don't have any time to waste."

He nodded in agreement and mounted Midnight again, turning her east. My thoughts drifted to my mother as we rode, where she might be, what she might be doing, if she was even still alive. I got to the point where I almost couldn't stand the silence, but Torbin finally broke it.

"That's it," He said, pointing to a cave "There's two vampires out front, willing to bet the rest of them are inside."

He reached down and pulled an Elven style bow from Midnight's side, grabbing two ebony arrows. The vampires still hadn't seen us, Torbin didn't even dismount from his horse before letting the arrow fly, scoring a hit on the neck. The other vampire sat up straight and reached for her weapon, but her hand never touched it before Torbin's second arrow appeared in her chest.

"I thought you didn't like Elven weapons." I remarked as we drew closer and dismounted

"Zephyr is different," He said "Met this dead girl down in some Dwarven ruin, cute girl, too bad she was dead, she's going on and on about this mythical forge so I helped put her spirit to rest by going into the ruin with her and solving the puzzle. Then it turned out we found this rare metal and we needed to find the other pieces to unlock the forge."

"What happened?" I asked

"Well we went all around Skyrim finding these pieces and building the key," He said "Then we went to this forge, fought our way through bandits and countless traps, and found this fabled forge. We had enough Aetherium for one item, so I made myself a shield. Then she just kind of..disappeared. Wasn't a total loss though, Ahtal and I started using it afterwards."

"Where's the shield?" I asked him, looking around

"Gave it to Ralof as a gift," He shrugged "I don't like Dwarven shields, they're too big and wide."

"Isn't that the point of a shield?" I laughed

"I prefer mine to be a bit more agile," He grinned "Now let's go get us a Moth Priest."

We headed inside the cave and moved as quietly as we could. Inside, from the small overlook the entrance had given us, we could see a ritual of some kind going on at the other end of the cave. Between us were several Death Hounds and around twenty or so vampires.

"Okay," Torbin said, turning back to me "You take out those Death Hounds over there, then move up across that bridge. I'll go straight through the water and up the center."

I nodded and Torbin slipped down the rocks and into the water. I used an ice spike spell on the Death Hounds guarding the bridge, then I slipped across. By the time I had reached the entrance to the makeshift fort, Torbin had already gotten everybody's attention. As I turned the corner and drew my sword, Torbin was ripping his Nightingale blade out of one of the other vampires as the others bore down on him.

"YOL TOOR SHUL!" He shouted as a burst of flames shot forth, catching all but four of the vampires on fire

I rushed forward and blocked a sword strike from one, bringing my hand up and swiping my claws across his throat, shredding it. Another vampire came forward but Torbin was in front of me before I could move, slamming the vampire with his shield and putting him to the floor.

In the same motion, Torbin swiped down and cut it's head off. The other two, a female vampire and her thrall, attempted to attack Torbin at once, but he ducked the blade and came up with his sword already in an arc, cutting right across the thrall's chest. I took the opportunity to swing from the side, catching the vampire off guard and killing her.

"Up top," Torbin said, nodding to the stairs "There's three more of them, watch yourself."

He went up first, and cut down the first vampire as he attempted to ambush us. Torbin engaged the other one while I went after the tall Orc appearing to be the leader. His hands blazed with fire and he cast two quick spells, narrowly missing me. I used my sword to keep him at bay and suddenly thrust my hand out, sending a chain of lightning into Malkus. Tendrils of lightning arced around him as he lay against the stone, twitching and coughing.

"You think this makes a difference?" Malkus laughed, spitting up blood "My death means nothing, others will take my place, you can't stop us, Dragonborn."

"I think you'll find I'm more than up to the challenge." Torbin said, decapitating Malkus in the same motion

"We need to get this barrier down." I said, turning back to the Moth Priest suspended inside

"How about this?" Torbin said, protruding a glowing, blue stone from Malkus' pack

"Probably does something," I shrugged "Try it."

We went up the steps and found an altar with a spot to fit the stone, and so he put it in. The barrier fell and the Moth Priest crumbled to the ground, falling in a heap but pushing himself up a moment later.

"See," Torbin said, sighing in relief "Not so hard."

"I serve my master's will," The Moth Priest said, rising to his feet "But my master is dead, and his enemies must pay!"

"Of course." Torbin grunted, jumping down to meet the enthralled Priest. "FUS RO DAH!"

An unseen force sent the Moth Priest flying backwards and slamming into the stone. Torbin bore down on him, taking in a breath, and I knew he was preparing for a second shout.

"GOL-" He began before the Moth Priest cut him off

"Stop!" He cried in terror, putting his hands in front of his face "Please, I submit! I was under the control of that creature, but you, you saved me!"

Torbin stopped and stood at full height, towering over the Moth Priest, who stayed bowed at Torbin's feet as though he were a king.

"Thank the Divines for you," He groveled "Please if there's any-"

"Oh shut up and get on your feet," Torbin snapped at him "I'm no king, don't bow to me."

"Forgive me," He said, hurrying to his feet "My name is Dexion Evicus, I'm a Moth Priest of the White-Gold Tower."

"We know who you are," I said, jumping down after them "Are you alright?"

"I'm quite alright, thanks to the two of you," He said "Those Vampires said they had some purpose for me, probably hoping to ransom me or something."

"We know why they needed you, because we need you for the same reason." Torbin said

"You do?" He asked "Alright then, enough mysteries."

"I'm from an organization known as the Dawnguard," Torbin said "We're Vampire hunters, we need you to read an Elder Scroll."

"You have an Elder Scroll?" He asked in shock

"No," Torbin said sarcastically "That's a replica on her back."

"Well I'll be," He said admiringly "Well, where do we need to go?"

"Fort Dawnguard, down in the Rift," Torbin said "We can take you there if you'd like."

"Oh yes," Dexion told him "I think you'll serve me much better than my guards, I didn't catch your names."

"My name is Serana," I told him "This is Torbin."

"Ahhhh," Dexion said, looking at Torbin with new admiration "The Dragonborn, it could possibly considered treason for me to help you."

"Listen old man," Torbin spat at him, suddenly becoming angry "We've been all over Skyrim tracking you down, something is going on here and it's a lot bigger than this war, you're going to read that scroll for us even if you have to do it with my sword at your throat!"

"I didn't say I wouldn't help," Dexion said, not even flinching "But the tone is not helping you, if you want my help, all you need to is take me to the scroll."

"Then let's go." Torbin said, turning away and heading to the cave

When we left the cave, the sun had started to set. Our horses were where we had left them and they were alternating between sniffing and kicking around the corpses at the entrance. Torbin removed his helmet and stared off into the distance, seeming lost in thought for a moment before he turned back to us.

"We've got two horses, three people, and we need to get to Fort Dawnguard yesterday." He said

"What do you suggest?" I asked him "We don't have another way."

"Yes we do," Torbin sighed "I look to him as a master, and I almost feel as if it's degrading to ask him for a ride, but I don't see any other way to do this fast."

"What do you mean?" Dexion asked

Torbin whistled for Midnight who came instantly, standing in front of Torbin, eagerly awaiting instructions.

"Go to Fort Dawnguard," He told her "Ride as fast as you can, take Serana's horse with you, we'll be above."

Midnight gave an affirmative huff before turning and calling to my horse, then taking off with her close behind. With that, Torbin turned away from us and looked to the sky.

"PAR THUR NAX!" He shouted, his voice echoing in the night

"What was that supposed to do?" I asked, confused

"Wait a moment." Torbin said, pointing upwards

As if on cue, the roar of a dragon echoed through the night, probably scaring everybody in the nearby towns. It took me a moment before I spotted it, a large, black dragon approaching fast. Torbin held up his hand and a small ball of light appeared, signaling where we were. The dragon veered off towards us and got closer and closer, until it finally landed in front of us.

"Dovahkiin," The dragon said, bowing his head "It has been a long while since we spoke."

"Paarthurnax," Torbin said, nodding "I feel bad asking this of you, but we need a ride."

The dragon made a sound that I took for an amused laugh before it turned back to Torbin, looking at the three of us.

"Very well," He said, lowering his head "But first, I must ask this of you, Dovahkiin."

"Ask away." Torbin invited him

"What is it you've gotten yourself into?" He asked as Torbin climbed onto his neck and offered me his hand "A vampire, an Elder Scroll, and a Dragon Priest?"

"You don't even want to know." Torbin laughed

The ride to Fort Dawnguard took a mere two hours, but that was enough for me. I hated flying and hoped I wouldn't ever have to do it again, Dexion was a bit more fond of it than I was.

"Of all the things," He laughed with glee "Riding a dragon, the other Moth Priests will never believe this!"

We landed outside the fort and Torbin dismounted, thanking Paarthurnax. After promising he would come visit him once the business with my father was settled, Paarthurnax left and we headed up to the castle.

"What in Oblivion?" Isran stormed as soon as we approached the front gate "What's the matter with you? Flying in on a dragon, you scared about thirty of our new recruits."

"Do you want your Moth Priest or not?" Torbin shrugged, pushing past Isran and heading into the castle

Isran followed us inside. I could tell he was just as excited to get started as the rest of us were. Once we were inside, he turned to Torbin, clearly impressed.

"How did you find one so quickly?" He asked in amazement

"I'm the Dragonborn," Torbin shrugged "Are we ready to go?"

"For the reading?" Isran asked "Absolutely, just let the old man know when you're ready."

"Dexion?" Torbin asked

"Of course," He said, almost jumping up and down with excitement "I'll just need the scroll."

I removed the scroll from my back and handed it over to him. He took it gently, as though he was afraid he would break it. Sorine, Gunmar, Isran, Torbin, Dexion, and I were the only ones present, and I felt everybody hold their breath as he opened it.

"Now if everybody could please be quiet," He said "I must concentrate. I see a vision, a great bow, it's Auriel's bow. I hear a whisper. Among the night's children, a dread lord will rise. In an age of strife, when dragons return to the realm of men, darkness will mingle with the light and night and day will be as one."

We all fell silent at these words, I knew them well. My father had been obsessed with the prophecy ever since he'd first read the words, it was all he had ever talked about.

"There's more," Dexion said "The rest of the prophecy is written in the other two scrolls, my vision darkens, and I see no more."

Dexion started to fall but Gunmar rushed forward and caught him, helping him stand up. His face had paled and he had sweat pouring down his face, the reading seemed to have taken a lot out of him.

"Easy now," Gunmar said, taking him to a bench to sit down "Easy."

"Take him to get some rest," Isran ordered "I'll be in my quarters, I've got a few things to tend to."

Everybody began to disperse, heading off in separate directions. Torbin removed his helmet and had a brief discussion with Isran before heading over to the table, snatching up a bottle of mead as he did so.

"Do you mind if we talk?" I asked, sitting across from him

"Sure," He said, taking a swig "What's on your mind?"

"The Moth Priest," I began "He said we needed two other scrolls, and I think I know where to look."

"Really?" He asked, interested "Why didn't you say something?"

"Half the people here would sooner kill me than talk to me, doesn't make me want to open up," I said "I got a warmer welcome from my father, and that's saying something."

"What is it between you two?" He asked, offering me the bottle

"Ever since he heard the prophecy, we've drifted apart," I said, taking it "I don't think he even thinks of me as his daughter anymore, I'm just a means to an end."

"So what about the scroll?" He asked "You said you knew where it was?"

"I said I had an idea," I corrected him, handing the bottle back "We'll need to find my mother. She'll know where to find it, and if we're lucky, she'll actually have it."

"I thought you didn't know where she was." He said

"Last time I saw her, she said she'd go somewhere safe, where my father would never search," I said "It was cryptic, but the way she said it, somewhere my father would never search, like she called attention to it."

"Maybe she didn't trust you either." Torbin remarked, passing the bottle back

"Always a possibility," I shrugged "My mother was as obsessed with stopping my father and my father was with the prophecy, but we need to find her, she's our only lead. Any ideas?"

"Hiding with the Dawnguard?" He suggested

"They'd be less welcoming to her than they were to me," I said, rolling my eyes "It would've been a massacre, and since the Dawnguard are still here, I'm assuming that didn't happen. What else you got?"

"Sealed away?" He said "Like you were."

"No, she said she wanted to stay awake in case the situation got resolved," I said "Anything else?"

"Okay, might just be the mead talking," Torbin said, taking another swig from the bottle "How about in Castle Volkhiar?"

It was a stupid idea, and I almost dismissed it, almost. Something sparked in my brain and I remembered my mother's garden, something she considered so sacred to her, and Torbin was right, my father would've never searched the castle.

"That almost makes sense," I said, smiling "My mother had a garden, my father couldn't stand the place, said it was too peaceful."

"Okay come on," Torbin laughed "You can't think your mother was that stupid."

"It's not stupid at all," I said, jumping to my feet "It's the perfect spot, we won't exactly trip over her there but it's at least worth a look."

"Serana!" Torbin called as I sprinted to the exit "I'm drunk, don't listen to my stupid ideas!"


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

 **Torbin**

We left the Elder Scroll at the castle and rode fast, covering the distance from Fort Dawnguard to Lakeview manor by mid day. After we had set out, I told Serana that I had the second Elder Scroll, she seemed glad we wouldn't have to go dig it out of some old cave, I'd already done the dirty work.

Illia was just finishing up with a few new enhancements on the house to keep trespassers out. I saw a few of the guards we kept paid moving in between the trees and by the lake, our first line of defense.

"I didn't expect you for a while," Illia said, surprised "I thought you had rejoined the war effort."

"I have other pressing matters at the moment," I told her "We need to talk, tell the guards to go wake up the next shift and get some sleep, then meet us inside."

She nodded and headed off while I headed inside. Illia had the only key, seeing as she lived here and would rarely ever be gone, I felt that having a key would just be asking for it to come off in the middle of a battle and some bandit pick it up. Serana and I headed inside where Uthgerd, Arelan, and Ahtal were seated at the table, eating.

Uthgerd the Unbroken was the head of the guard, she handled the payments, the length of the job, shift changes, she kept the woods around the manor secure. Arelan was an Altmer, and he was my cook. I had found him wandering the road with a bag of cooking supplies and a bow, searching for new recipes. I offered him a place to live, a warm bed at night, and freedom to cook whatever he wanted, which he gladly accepted. He still journeyed out once every few months to find other things to cook, he always came back though.

Ahtal was the most curious of all of my stewards. He was a Redguard, he handled the business. We kept Skyrim supplied with weapons and ore from the mines in the area. Ahtal was the best blacksmith in Skyrim, no question about it. While the war was going on, we kept the Stormcloaks supplied with plenty of weapons, and we were always working on new ones. I would collect any weapon designs I found, and Ahtal would send people out to do the same, or he would often go and do it himself. I'd had a forge built and Ahtal helped make the weapons and sell them, the Companions, the Guild, the Dawnguard, the Stormcloaks, anybody with gold. He didn't talk much about his past, and there was still things I didn't know about him. Despite the secrecy, he was an excellent warrior and wielded a pair of twin scimitars with mastery.

"Well look who decided to stop by," Uthgerd said with a mouthful of food "Just in time too."

"Allow me." Arelan said, jumping up and running to the kitchen, bringing out plates for Serana and I

"We've got a lot of issues," I began as I sat down "More than usual."

"Something I think you should know first," Ahtal spoke up "One of our shipments got hit by a Thalmor ambush, and some of the guards reported seeing a few Thalmor agents watching the house across the river. We gathered some men and swam across but they got away."

"The Thalmor are the least of my problems," I sighed as Illia entered the house. "Serana, this is Illia, Uthgerd, Arelan, and Ahtar."

They all nodded to her, either not noticing or ignoring the fact that she was a Vampire. It began to dawn on me that I was not only in the possession of one, but two Elder Scrolls, and I was on the hunt for the third.

I explained what was happening while we ate. The others were silent until I finished, Ahtal appeared to be in deep thought. The four other people at the table with us were among some of my most trusted advisors in all of Skyrim, people I confided in and often sought advice or guidance from. I asked for Ahtal or Illia's help more than the Greybeards' or Blades'.

"And this seems like a good idea to you?" Illia asked "Just running off into a prophecy, knowing nothing for sure but speculation?"

"If you've got a better one, I'm all ears," I shrugged "Seems pretty serious to me."

"Why not simply destroy the castle?" Ahtal asked "If it's that serious, have Paarthurnax help you raze the castle and just end it."

"I don't think it's that simple," I admitted "Harkon is far more powerful than you realize, we'll need to understand the prophecy better if we're actually going to defeat him."

"This is why I don't deal in magic," Uthgerd huffed "There's always too many complications, things you must understand before going to battle, real warriors wield weapons of steel and iron, not magic."

"Then by all means," Arelan said, rolling his eyes "Go find this Castle Volkihar do your thing, I'll send some men for your body."

"You don't have to be such an ass about it," She grunted "I get the point."

"If my father gets what he wants, this entire world will be nothing but ash," Serana said, speaking for the first time "This entire quest is a long shot."

"A long shot is better than no shot," Illia said "How can we help?"

"What I need you guys to do is slow Harkon down in any way you can," I told them "Send some scouting parties to the castle, keep tabs on any who go in or come out, keep tails on the ones he sends out, kill them if you want, I don't care."

Serana seemed to flinch when I said kill them, and I had to remind myself I was talking about her family. She knew they wanted to kill her, but it didn't make it any easier. Ahtal seemed excited for the opportunity to go looking for a fight, he might've grabbed his swords and headed out if he didn't want to hear more about the quest.

"I think there's been enough excitement for tonight," I said, finishing my food "We'll start in the morning, I haven't slept in almost two days, and even the Dragonborn needs to rest."

When we had finished eating, I had Illia show Serana to one of the guest bedrooms where she could sleep. I checked up on a few of the enchantments around the house before heading back inside and removing my armor, placing it on the stand above the dining room and heading to bed. As usual, nightmares haunted me all night.


	13. Chapter 13

**Another quick little thing, I know hunting down all the Dragon Priests is not technically part of the main quest but I thought I'd throw it in for some flare**

 **Chapter 13**

 **Serana**

My father's face haunted my sleep, I saw myself when I was a child, when our family was together and happy, before Molag Bal took it all away, before the prophecy consumed my father's life. I saw him in the castle, plotting his next move, pouring over maps and books.

Suddenly, I shot up in bed, breathing hard. It took me a moment to realize where I was at that I was safe, or as safe as I could be. I got out of the bed and headed toward the stairs intending to go outside for some air, but I stopped when I heard voices.

"-just can't sleep," I heard Torbin saying "I keep on seeing Alduin and Harkon."

"Are you sure she's trustworthy?" I heard Ahtal ask "The girl I mean."

"She hasn't given me any reason not to think so," Torbin replied "If she was going to kill me, she would've done it by now, she's had plenty of opportunities."

"Are you sure she isn't just tricking you to get the Elder Scrolls?" Ahtal asked "It's something to think about. Can you trust her to get the job done, to kill Harkon if need be?"

"I hope she doesn't have to make that decision," Torbin said "It's not that I don't trust her to make the choice, but I don't want her to. If it comes to that, I'll do it."

"I'm just saying, I'd keep your eyes on her," Ahtal said "Last thing Skyrim needs is to have to bury the Dragonborn."

"I plan on dying of natural causes many years from now." Torbin laughed

After a few moments, Torbin decided to try sleeping again and I heard him heading for the stairs, so I slipped back into bed, not wanting him to know I had heard them. I didn't feel like going outside anymore.

"Serana," Torbin's voice tore through my sleep and I felt him shaking me "Serana, wake up."

I opened my eyes to find Torbin standing next to my bed, looking as though he hadn't gotten much sleep at all. He wore Dawnguard armor and held a Dawnguard shield in his right hand with a strange sword strapped to his back that I had not seen before, the hilt glowed like sunlight, and a Dawnguard full helmet tucked under his other arm.

"Whenever you're ready," He told me, heading towards the stairs "Come down to the dining room, I've got a few things for you."

It didn't take me long to get dressed, I hadn't taken off much when I went to sleep. I grabbed the Elven sword Torbin had given me, strapping it to my waist and heading down the stairs. Torbin was waiting for me by one of the doors to the side, I hadn't seen inside what was inside it yet.

He smiled when he saw me and motioned for me to follow him, opening the door and slipping inside with me behind him. I shut the door on my way in and turned around, my eyes widening in amazement. There was a collection of all sorts of bows, swords, war axes, shields, and armor stands.

Off to the side was a cabinet with what maps of dragon heads drawn in various spots, some of them were crossed off. There were two cases on either side of an armor stand, one was empty, but the other held a single mask. I could tell it held some sort of power, and the design seemed very old and Nordic.

"Krosis," Torbin said, nodding to the mask "He's Dovah Sonaak."

"The what?" I asked, confused "Did you just speak in Dragon?"

"Dragon Priests, they rose when the dragons did," He explained "Paarthurnax and I discussed them, he told me the smart thing to do before hunting down Alduin would be find and destroy them, after I do that we may try and use Dragonsreach to capture a Dragon and force him to take me to Alduin."

"Sounds like you've got quite a busy schedule." I remarked

"That's one way to put it," He sighed "I've been doing some looking around but I can't find anything to tell me where they might be, then I got wrapped up in this whole mess."

I could sense that this was a tense subject for him, and next to dragons, Torbin probably would've much rather dealt with vampires. I decided to change the subject and asked him where he had gotten all the weapons.

"Accumulated over the years," He said "You'd be surprised how quickly you come across powerful weapons in Skyrim these days."

"What about this?" I asked, pointing to a Dwarven sword, I could feel power radiating from it

"Took that off of Mercer Frey," He said, smiling fondly "Poor bastard didn't know I'd been training to use my shouts, tried to play the keep your distance game with me."

"What happened to him?" I asked, finding myself curious

"The maggots and rats have probably gotten him by now," He shrugged "Help yourself, any type of weapon you feel like, I've got it."

I looked around before my eyes fell on a sealed case. Inside, there was a solid black staff with what looked like a screaming man on the top. Almost absentmindedly, I found myself reaching to open it before Torbin's voice tore me back to reality.

"No no no!" He said quickly, flinching as I reached for it "Not that! Trust me, you want nothing to do with that."

"What is it?" I asked him, confused by how much it seemed to scare him

"Wabbajack," He said "Each time you use it, it does something random, and it isn't always helpful."

"Where did you come across something like that?" I asked him, turning away

"I just can't seem to walk away from crazy, old, mad men." He sighed

I let the matter drop and continued looking around. One of the weapons racks had several different types of swords on it, and finally, my eyes fell on the bow.

It was a slick, solid black bow with a Nightingale symbol on it. It was beautifully crafted and had been taken care of and maintained, probably by Torbin.

"Good eye," He said, watching me pick it up "Karliah gave that to me, I use it every now and then, but mostly I stick with my swords."

I took a quiver of Elven arrows from another rack and felt satisfied. Torbin hadn't lied, he had every type of weapon imaginable, and each one had some thrilling tale behind it, some not so thrilling.

"I'll tell you one thing," He said when I was finished and he had locked the room again "We have to keep this place guarded, I've got a lot of dangerous things."

"I wouldn't doubt it," I told him "Any stops to make on the way?"

"Nope," He said "Uthgerd's got everything under control."

We saddled our horses and headed out, travelling as far as we could before resting. It only took a few days, I took the time to get to know Torbin better, asking him questions about his family and where they were, but I couldn't get him to open up about that. Each time I brought it up, he seemed to shut me out, answering my questions with single words or just a simple grunt.

His sword, however, was much less difficult to talk about. It's name was Dawnbreaker, and it had been a gift from the Daedric Prince, Meridia. He told me of how he had stumbled upon her beacon in a chest while he was hunting words of power in Riften, how he'd nearly died twice in his attempt to return it to her.

We didn't run into much trouble, a hunting party of vampires or two here and there, I learned that Dawnbreaker was especially effective against the undead. There were a few times where I had to feed, so Torbin would track down a few bandits or something. One night, I was almost ready to pass out from lack of fresh blood, and he used his own.

"Absolutely not." I said, in disbelief at the idea

Truth be told, I wanted so bad to taste his blood again. It might've been his dragon blood, but it gave me so much energy, made me feel powerful, and I didn't trust myself to only take a little bit. He insisted, telling me that there wasn't another way to do it, and I knew he was right.

He took the glove from his left hand, revealing an already faded scar across his palm. He drew his knife and cut it deep, reopening what appeared to be a very old wound.

"Done this before?" I asked him

"Not for a vampire." He remarked, offering me his hand

With no other option, I drank his blood. It was the same feeling as the first time, intense energy, like I could've taken on an entire army and won, it was amazing, and I almost couldn't stop.

When I was finished, Torbin wrapped a bandage around his hand and put his glove back on, acting as if what had just happened was no big deal, but I knew that I had hurt him, he'd gone a bit pale in the face.

"We're you and Valerica close?" He asked me one night

"Before my father became obsessed with the prophecy, my mother and I got along fine," I told him "She loved alchemy."

"So you always got along?" He asked

"Like the best of friends," I said "I wouldn't hesitate to share anything with her."

"But then it all changed?" He guessed

"It was very sudden," I remembered "Like one day we were a normal family and then the next….I just didn't even know who they were anymore. Whenever I'd try to visit my mother in her garden she'd always shoo me away, said she was much too busy."

"That's why we're headed there?" He asked me

"She had to be up to something in that garden," I said, determined to be right "Hopefully, she left a clue to tell us where she went."

After what seemed like weeks even though it was only days, Castle Volkihar finally came into view. Torbin fashioned a small raft out of some driftwood and we floated up the side without any of the guards noticing.

"There," I said, pointing to an old dock "That's our entrance. My father destroyed this part of the castle and had it blocked off, he'd never think to look here."

"I hope he doesn't get smart all of the sudden," Torbin said, drawing his sword as we stepped onto the dock "It's bad for my image."

"What do you mean?" I laughed

"Heroes make a killing off stupid bad guys." He said

I couldn't see his face but I knew he was wearing his signature troublemaker grin as he turned back to the castle, readying his weapon. I heard a small clicking sound I knew to be skeletons, probably placed here by my father in case somebody wandered over.

"We've got trouble," Torbin said indicating for me to take the lead "After you, milady."

We took them down pretty quickly, Torbin did most of it. By the time I had picked off the archer up top, Torbin had already rushed in, burning two of them up with a fire shout and was just reaching the top of the stairs where the final one stood, waiting. They battled for a moment, with the skeleton going on the immediate offensive, rushing at Torbin. I raised the my bow to try and get a shot on him, but Torbin used his shield to block his sword and then slashed him in half, stomping on him as he landed in a heap.

We opened the door and slipped inside, shutting it behind us. The basement was dark and empty, it was also very cold. As we started down the stairs, Torbin turned to me, speaking in a whisper so as not to alert anything that was below us.

"Did you spend a lot of time down here?" He asked me

"I liked exploring, my parents almost never let me out of the castle," I said "So yeah, I poked around down here a lot, it was a little quieter back then, guess a little vampire girl was enough to scare off the rats."

"That sounds pretty lonely." He said

"It was, " I shrugged "But I got used to it."

"You sound like you were a weird little kid." He teased

"I was," I chuckled "But I think I turned out okay, what about you, what were you like as a kid?"

"I was the typical Nord boy," He said "Not much to tell, I helped out on the farm, helped my father in the forge, my grandfather too before he passed, hunted with my father, went with him to the traders in the big cities."

Just then I heard a hiss from down below us before a Skeever made a run for us. Torbin cut downward and removed his head and a swift, decisive motion. We headed down the final set of stairs and Torbin opened the door, trying to be quiet about it. It didn't matter anyways, the second the door opened, we were greeted with five Death Hounds, baring their teeth and growling. I shot one in the head while Torbin bashed another off into the water on our side with his shield, coming up and cutting across the chest of another.

I went for the other two while Torbin headed after one that was attempting to get away. As I cut down the remaining two, Torbin finished up with his, right before he was ambushed. A bald Elf in rags dropped down from the balcony above him, stabbing wildly with her knife, trying to get at him. He moved at the last second but she managed to ding his armor, he bashed her into the wall with his shield and stabbed Dawnbreaker through her chest, causing her screams to fill the catacombs and possibly even alert the other Vampires we were here.

She had dropped what appeared to be a journal fragment on the ground, which I picked up to read. The letter revealed that she had been a feral Vampire rejected from the castle many years before, and that she had been lying in wait, plotting her revenge.

"Can't just let it go," Torbin breathed "Always have to plot revenge and whatnot."

We headed upstairs and found a lever, lowering a bridge below us, which led us into another part of the catacombs. I remembered the place well, I led Torbin through a few more Death Hounds and over to the second lever, where we lowered the other half of the bridge leading up to courtyard.

"We made it," I said as we stepped outside, then I saw the condition it was in "Oh no, what happened to this place? Everything's been torn down, the place just looks dead. We must be the first to set foot here in centuries."

Torbin sheathed his weapons and I headed up one of the small sets of stairs, looking around for anything that could help us. I noticed that the passageway had been blocked off, no doubt my father's doing. I was lost in the sea of memories that came flooding back to me as I remembered all the times I had spent here with my mother.

"This used to lead into the castle's great hall," I told him "I used to walk through it after evening meals."

As we continued to look around, we came upon my mother's garden. The plants were withered and rotted away, looking as if nobody hand tended them in years, and they had just slowly withered away.

"This was my mother's garden," I said to Torbin "Do you know how beautiful something can be when it's tended to by a master of hundreds of years? She would've hated to see it like this."

He stayed quiet, which I was grateful for. I didn't want pity or sympathy, I just wanted to be left alone to relive old memories, when things weren't all that bad. It was then that I turned around and noticed something unusual about the moondial.

"Wait," I said, walking towards it "Something's wrong, the crests are missing and the dial is askew, I never even knew the crests could come out, I think maybe my mother is trying to tell us something."

"What's so special about the moondial?" Torbin asked

"Well, as far as I am aware, it's the only one in existence," The previous owners had a sundial, but Mother didn't like it, had an Elven artisan make some adjustments, you can see the phases of the moon."

"Does it work?" He asked

"That's the thing, what's the point of a moondial?" I said "I always wondered why she didn't just have the whole thing ripped out, but she loved it. I don't know, I suppose it's just like owning a piece of art, if you're into that sort of thing."

"So what exactly are we doing to it?" He asked, removing his helmet

"Hard to say, maybe we could try finding the missing crests." I suggested

"What happened to the courtyard?" He asked as we began looking around

"If I had to guess, I'd say my father destroyed it," I told him "He wiped out every remnant of her."

"Then just walled it off?" Torbin asked

"Appears so," I shrugged "Maybe he wanted to put the past behind him, perhaps if he spent more time with us he could've appreciated the beauty for himself."

Torbin went quiet again as we scoured the courtyard in search of the missing crests. We found the first one on the balcony overlooking the garden, lying next to a table, The second one, we found a little deeper in my mother's garden, and finally we found the third one sitting on the rock inside the small pool to the side.

We put them into the dial and it spun around a few times before the floor fell away, revealing a spiral staircase going downwards, to what I could only hope was my mother's hiding spot.

"Very clever, Mother," I said, impressed "I've never been in those tunnels before, but I'll bet they lead right under the castle."

"I wish you knew." Torbin muttered

"Perk up," I laughed, elbowing him in the rib "At least we're getting closer, now let's get moving."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

 **Torbin**

The doorway led to, surprise, more dusty, old tunnels. As we entered into the next room, the first thing I noticed was a wooden table, splattered in blood. A small section of the ceiling had caved in over in the corner, where more blood had been splattered on it. In fact, there was blood all over the room.

"What happened down here?" I asked, turning to Serana "It looks like a murder scene."

"It probably is," She shrugged "As to what exactly, I can't say for sure."

"Do you know this place?" I asked

"Always just assumed the other tower was completely destroyed," She said, looking around "My mother kept this a secret, even from me. She must have been up to something she thought was dangerous."

"I love danger," I said, rolling my eyes "Guess your mother was sneakier than you thought?"

"It would appear so." She agreed "Follow me."

We headed deeper into the tower, hearing the water drip and the wind blow. There was only a single set of stairs leading up, so we followed them, opening the door at the top.

The moment we opened the door, the torches in the room magically lit, and several skeletons rose from their seats at the table. Serana raised her eyebrows at me, clearly unimpressed by the trap.

"FUS RO DAH!" I shouted, watching a few of them fly backwards

Serana sent a spike of ice, impaling two in a single blow. Three more ran up the stairs and into the room on the other side, giving us no choice but to follow. Upon emerging inside the room, however, I noticed a statue of a Gargoyle.

Before I could warn Serana, who had rushed after the skeletons, it sprang to life, jumping at her. She dove to the side, turning and hitting it with a flurry of lightning, causing it to rear back, allowing me to step in and stab it. I had to do so four or five times before it finally died, during which time Serana had dispatched the skeletons.

"Did your mother keep these here?" I asked her

"Not that I ever saw, she had a thing for magical constructs," She said "Not what you're thinking, she just found them fascinating."

"You seem alright," I shrugged as we continued on "Your mother, however, is beginning to sound more and more like a mad scientist."

Serana was quiet at this and did not speak for a while. I had come to notice that the closer we got to our goal, the less and less she had to say. Two more skeletons awaited us in the next room, which Serana destroyed with a simple flick of her hand. Another thing I was becoming aware of was exactly how powerful she was, even by vampire standards. As we continued up the stairs, more torches magically lit around us.

"Why does that keep happening?" I asked her "I don't like it, and it's creepy."

"At least we can see," She shrugged "But that might be the point."

Even more skeletons and another gargoyle awaited us at the top. Serana sent a wave of fire into the gargoyle while I sheathed my sword and sent several ice spikes at the skeletons. One by one they fell, but even more came from the shadows. Serana killed the gargoyle fairly quickly, returning to help me with the skeletons. She drew the Nightingale bow I had given her and sent an arrow at one of the archers up top, shattering the head. By the time we had fought our way up and cleared them out, I was exhausted. Serana, however, was having a blast.

"How do we open this gate?" I asked her as she dispatched the last skeleton

"That seems like a good place to try." She remarked, nodding towards a Gargoyle statue

I turned to look at it, and my mouth dropped. It crouched down, poised, ready to attack. Above it's head hung a pull chain, almost as if the Gargoyle were guarding it. I almost laughed at how ridiculously hopeless that trap was, stopping myself by thinking that we were to poor saps who had to go through it, and it was beginning to look like that was our only option.

"That can't be it," I said, shaking my head "You're mother is trying to get us killed."

"She didn't want anybody to find her," Serana said thoughtfully "Which one of us is gonna pull it?"

"I'll pull the chain," I groaned "You get ready to incinerate the damn thing when it jumps, you're better at magic anyways."

Serana nodded and began preparing a spell. I watched the ball of fire in her hand get a little bit bigger as I stepped towards the chain, reaching out with my left hand while keeping my right hand up to block with my shield. I paused for a moment when I reached the statue, holding my breath and grabbing the chain, yanking it down as I did so.

I braced my shield, leveling my sword at the statue and jumping backwards. Serana raised her hand to release the spell.

And nothing happened.

Serana and I looked to eachother for a moment, not sure what to make of it. I wondered if maybe it wasn't a trap, just something meant to deter you when it suddenly sprang to life, leaping up in the air at us.

"FUS!" I yelled, the only word I had time for

At the same time, Serana's fireball slammed into the beast, sending his ashes scattering as he was incinerated on impact. I looked to Serana, knowing she couldn't see my face under the Dawnguard helmet, but raising my eyebrows just the same, beginning to appreciate the power she held as a daughter of Coldharbour.

We continued through the door, Serana taking out the skeleton archer on the top of the stairs with an ice spike before I even saw him. Upon reaching the top of the stairs, we found two doors. One was an iron spiked gate, and the other was a simple wooden door, Serana tried the wooden door first.

"It's locked." She said, jiggling the handle

"No it's not." I said, motioning her out of the way

She stepped off to the side and I kicked the door hard, grinning with satisfaction as the locked broke and the door flew open, revealing a narrow hallway. We stepped inside and crossed into the next room, hearing the chattering of more skeletons. I headed up the small set of stairs while Serana turned towards the hallway across from it. I found a bridge along with a skeleton, bashing him with my shield and sending him falling off and towards the ground where he shattered apart.

I turned just in time to see more of them heading through a door I could only assume was leading to where Serana was at. Sure enough as I rushed back down the stairs, five of them came charging in, their weapons raised and at the ready. Serana pulled a scroll from her bag and opened it. I had barely just enough time to jump back down the hallway we had come from before the entire room was engulfed in a fiery explosion around Serana, destroying the skeletons instantly.

"I can think of a few other instances we could've used that," I grumbled "Like in the middle of Castle Volkihar and we could've killed your father and ended this whole thing."

"It'd take a lot more than a scroll to take him down," She laughed "He's a vampire lord, remember?"

"But," I countered as we continued onward "I'm the Dragonborn."

We crossed the next few rooms in silence, the two of us both tensed up and ready for a fight around any corner. Finally, we reached a giant wooden door, towering above the two of us.

"Please tell me this is it," I said, looking to her "Right?"

"Almost," She promised, opening the door "Watch the Gargoyles."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

 **Serana**

We made fairly quick work of the Gargoyles, With Torbin shouting all of them into a wall, giving me a chance to finish each of them off. After they were dead, Torbin looked to me for directions, and I walked to the fireplace at the end of the room, turning the unlit candlestick on the left side of it.

We headed up another seemingly endless flight of stairs, finding my mother's laboratory through a door at the top. I was amazed at how intact it was, surprised that my father had not yet destroyed it.

"Look at this place," I said, looking around "I knew she was deep into alchemy but I never expected all of this. This circle, I'm not sure, but it has to be something!"

"Let's look around," Torbin suggested "Maybe we can find something. What exactly should be look for?"

"She was meticulous about her research," I said, thinking "If we can find her journal, we may find something in her notes."

"So what was she researching?" He asked as we set off

"I'd say trying to advance in Necromancy," I guessed "Just judging by the setup."

"To what end?" He asked

"I'm not sure," I admitted "I'd say longevity is out of the question, waste of time for a vampire."

I stopped as I found a red, leather bound book sitting on the shelf. I snatched it up, flipping it open as I did so. Sure enough, it was my mother's notes. She spoke of entering the Soul Cairn to get away from my father, and she even listed the ingredients to get us inside.

"What's the Soul Cairn?" Torbin asked when I showed him

"I only know what she told me," I said "She had a theory about soul gems, that the souls inside them don't just vanish when they're used, they'll go to the Soul Cairn."

"Why'd she care where the souls went?" He asked

"It's home to very powerful beings, Necromancers send them souls and in return get powers of their own in return," I explained "My mother spent a lot of time trying to contact them, to get into the Soul Cairn."

"If she made it there, then we'll find her." Torbin said, determined

"The circle must be the portal," I said "The formula should give us passage into the Soul Cairn."

"What do we need?" He asked

"Soul gem shards, finely ground bone meal, some purified void salts," I said, reading "And…...ugh, dammit."

"What?" Torbin asked

"We're also going to need her blood." She said "If we could do that, we wouldn't be trying to do this in the first place."

"What about you?" He asked "You share her blood."

"Hmmm, not bad," I shrugged "Could work, but we'd better hope it does, mistakes with these portals can be…..gruesome."

"Let's get started." He said

"Mother should have everything lying around the laboratory," I said "We'll just have to find it."

It didn't take us long, Torbin seemed to know what he was looking for, but he still double checked with me, a couple times he brought me regular void salts.

"Anything you can tell me about the Soul Cairn?" He asked as we placed the ingredients in the vessel

"It's a tiny sliver of Oblivion," I said "It's ruled by these unseen beings called the Ideal Masters."

"Why was she so fascinated with it?" He asked

"Don't know," I told him "But Necromancers are always interested in souls though, so it's a safe bet to say that had something to do with it."

"And the Ideal Masters?" He asked "What exactly are they?"

"Nobody really knows," I shrugged "As far as I know nobody's ever seen them and returned to Tamriel to tell about it."

How do you know they exist?" He asked

"I've heard stories," I said "About fools that managed to communicate with them, you give them souls and they give you powers to summon the undead. Very business-like

"Fools?" He repeated "Why do you say that?"

"Because most of the stories end with the Ideal Masters duping the Necromancer who ends up dead or wishing they were dead."

"Oh." He said, going quiet

"The rest is up to me," I said, steeling my nerves "I'm not sure how this thing will react once I add my blood."

"Can I ask you something first?" He interjected

"Of course," I said "What is it?"

"What will you do when you find your mother?" He asked me

"I've been asking myself the same thing, she was so sure of what we did to my father I just went along with her," I said shamefully "Never thinking of the cost."

"It sounds like she did it all for your sake." He said

"Possibly," I admitted, sighing "I suppose even a vampire mother is still a mother, she wanted us as far away from my father as possible."

"We won't know until we find her." He said gently

"Of course," I nodded "I just didn't expect anybody to care about how I felt about her, thank you."

"Are you ready?" He asked

"Yes," I said, turning and cutting a small slice in my arm "Here it goes."

As my blood dripped into the vessel, the room rumbled and shook as the bricks in the circle swirled around and the portal and I stood in silence for a moment, staring in shock at it. I hadn't actually expected the portal to open, and now that it had I could hardly believe we were really doing it.

"After you," I said, gesturing down

Torbin stepped down the stairs, heading towards the portal, but stopping and crying out as he began to enter it, a sizzling sound being heard throughout the room as he stepped away.

"Are you alright?" I asked as he fell sitting down at the top of the steps "That looked painful."

"It was," He groaned "What the hell happened."

"Sorry," I said sheepishly "I should've expected that, the Soul Cairn is, well, it's hungry, it wants your soul as payment."

"Is there any way in?" He asked

"There is, but you may not like it," I warned him "Vampires aren't counted among the living, I could go through no problem."

"So I have to let you bite me?" I asked

"Not your first choice I guess?" She asked

"Not particularly." He admitted

"Well, we could try giving them a portion of your soul," I suggested "It will make you weaker within the Soul Cairn, but it will appease the Ideal Masters."

"Those are my only two options?" He asked

"I'm sorry," I told him "I wish I knew a better way."

"I'll need all my strength," He said "Turn me into a vampire, I don't see any other way."

"Are you sure?" I asked him, surprised "I'm willing to turn you but you need to think it through, you'll become the very thing you swore to destroy, what would the Dawnguard think?"

"I could care less what the Dawnguard think," He said, removing his helmet and undoing the buckle at the top of his armor, exposing his neck "I took no such oath to destroy vampires, I took an oath to destroy threats to Tamriel above all else, to protect her no matter the cost, besides that I'm sure Florentius knows a way to cure it."

"I don't want you to feel as though I'm forcing you into this, turning somebody is a very personal thing for vampires," I said nervously, getting closer to him "It's….intimate….for us."

"In that case, I'm glad you're the one doing it." He whispered to me

"I promise, I'll make this as painless as possible," I whispered back, tiling his head upward to see his throat "Hold still."

I now stood close enough to feel his body heat, and I began to feel goosebumps. I slowly opened my mouth and gently sunk my teeth into him, feeling his sharp inhale of breath as my teeth pierced his skin. As I faltered, I felt him grip my hand, letting me know to keep going. After a moment, I lifted my head, looking him in the eyes.

They were no longer brown, but a glowing orange. He gave me a small smile, which I tried to return but feel as if I failed.

"How do you feel?" I asked him

"Powerful," He breathed "Like I could take on every vampire in the castle."

"Good," I laughed "Then let's go."

We turned and, once again, headed into the Soul Cairn, only this time, we made it through. It looked just a foreboding on the other side as I imagined it to be.


End file.
